THE DEPARTMENT of Education has launched an internal investigation into alleged abuses in the Senior High School (SHS) Voucher Program and has enlisted the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for an independent probe.

Eight months into his term, Education Secretary Sonny Angara directed the Central Office to bring the anomalies to public attention. He also authorized the Executive Committee to pursue all necessary legal and administrative actions to uphold the program’s integrity and prevent future irregularities.

“We will ensure that the SHS Voucher Program remains a tool for educational access, not a loophole for fraud. We are strengthening safeguards, reinforcing accountability, and making sure only rightful beneficiaries receive assistance,” Angara said.

DepEd assured lawmakers of its full cooperation in addressing concerns about the program’s implementation during a House committee hearing last Wednesday, March 19.

To prevent further irregularities, DepEd is implementing stricter measures and enhanced validation protocols. The verification process now includes multiple layers, starting with cross-checking data between the Voucher Management System and the Learner Information System (LIS) to confirm that students in billing statements are genuinely enrolled.

The second validation level takes place at the Central Office, where discrepancies between billing statements and LIS records are flagged. Payments to schools are withheld until any inconsistencies are resolved.

A post-billing monitoring process follows, conducted by the Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC), which oversees participating schools. The final verification step is DepEd’s post-validation review, ensuring all previous checks are completed before payments are released.

DepEd has also engaged Regional and Schools Division Offices to conduct school inspections and submit detailed reports—a measure implemented for SY 2024-2025. Additionally, PEAC validation for the second semester is set to begin next month.

School monitoring has been expanded, with the percentage of schools undergoing evaluation increasing from 10% to 20%.

DepEd also plans to upgrade the LIS to include an audit trail for tracking changes, automatic email alerts for data updates, and a system that maintains a complete learner history.

In addition, the agency is reviewing proposals for recognizing SHS private schools to further refine program implementation.

As investigations continue, DepEd reaffirms its commitment to transparency and vows full cooperation with Congress, the NBI, and other relevant authorities in holding accountable those responsible for any wrongdoing.