Deputy Speaker Rodante Marcoleta said the Department of Education (DepEd) is violating the law for its continuous production of books and self-learning modules.
Marcoleta noted that this is a “clear circumvention” of Republic Act 8047 or the Book Publishing Industry Development Act.
“In the audit report, COA (Commission on Audit) found that the DepEd, in producing the learning materials, clearly circumvented Section 10 and 11 of Republic Act 8047,” Marcoleta said.
The solon said the law “advises DepEd to phase out its responsibility of producing books and learning materials and to let public sector publishers do the job.”
He said the law orders DepEd to focus on curriculum development and refrain from producing books. However, the agency continued to do so.
“‘There is a continuing violation…” Marcoleta said.
“‘Yung NBDB (National Book Development Board), siya po ang dapat gumagawa ng mga libro at mga learning materials pero hanggang ngayon ay sila pa rin po ang nagpipilit na gumawa,” he added.
(The NBDB should be the ones producing books and learning materials, but until now, it is still the DepEd that insists on producing [these].)
DepEd violating law for printing books, self-learning modules: solon
The solon said DepEd thinks modules are not considered books.
“The COA also found out that modules and books are similarly situated,” he said.
“Kahit na sabihin nila that the modules are 30 pages or below… kasi ang definition ng textbook under the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), kailangan 42 pages ‘yan, but just the same, gumawa rin sila ng learning materials and they called it self-learning materials,” Marcoleta said.
(Even if they say that the modules are 30 pages and below… Under UNESCO, the definition of textbook means it has to have 42 pages, but just the same, they still create learning materials and they call it self-learning materials.)
Meanwhile, Department of Education Undersecretary Tony Umali revealed they found 155 errors in learning materials, including the word “makak*ntot,” which is a vulgar Filipino word for sex.
Umali said this error was found in learning modules for Grade 10 students in Pampanga.
The DepEd official said the module was recalled in February.
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