THE DEPARTMENT of Education confirmed it withheld approximately P200 million in Senior High School Voucher Program subsidies for around 22,000 ghost students in the 2023-2024 school year alone.

The statement was made during the second hearing on the alleged fraud in the voucher program.

During the hearing, House Committee on Basic Education Chairperson Roman Romulo asked if the department had stopped payments after uncovering the ghost student issue.

“Based on your findings, has there been an instance where a school had its payments stopped because, according to your checks, nearly 100% of the students weren’t actually enrolled?” Romulo asked.

DepEd’s Government Assistance and Subsidies Office Director Atty. Tara Rama explained they had caught a private school billing the Department of Education for Senior High School voucher subsidies despite 98% of its claimed students being enrolled in different public schools.

Rama explained that they discovered this by verifying learner reference numbers through DepEd’s learner information system.

This case is just one of the more egregious examples of ghost students or undocumented beneficiaries discovered through DepEd’s multi-billion peso Senior High School Voucher Program.

The voucher program, launched in 2015, provides subsidies to qualified Grade 11 and 12 students in participating private schools. Instead of disbursing cash directly to students, DepEd sends funds to the schools where the beneficiaries are enrolled.