SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian has urged the Department of Education to intensify efforts in recovering funds lost to ghost beneficiaries of the Senior High School Voucher Program (SHS-VP).

Reports confirmed that P65 million has been recovered from funds lost due to irregularities. However, Gatchalian emphasized that this amount is still far from the expected P310.4 million to be refunded from SHS-VP beneficiaries with documentation issues from School Years 2020-2021 to 2022-2023.

So far, P71.1 million has been refunded.

“We must not stop until those involved in this irregularity are held accountable,” Gatchalian stated. He also stressed the need to strengthen the SHS-VP to prevent future abuse and fraudulent activities within the program.

Last year, the Senate Committee on Basic Education conducted an investigation into the anomalies surrounding the SHS-VP. The inquiry revealed that thousands of beneficiaries had questionable documentation, leading to significant financial losses for the government.

With continued efforts from DepEd and the Senate, Gatchalian expressed hope that trust in the program will be restored and that it will benefit only students who genuinely need financial assistance.