P3.95-Billion Worth of Senior High School Vouchers Granted by DepEd

As of December 31, 2016, the Department of Education (DepEd) has already processed a total of P5.23 billion for the Senior High School Voucher Program (SHS VP), with actual payments amounting to P3.95 billion or 75 percent of billing statements received at the DepEd Central Office (CO).

This amount corresponds to 607,208 Voucher Program Beneficiaries (VPBs) or Grade 11 students enrolled in non-DepEd schools who are entitled to receive financial assistance through a voucher subsidy.

Per DepEd Order No. 46, series of 2015, and DepEd Order No. 38, series of 2016, the indicative timeline for processing of SHS VP payments is two months upon the school’s submission of billing statements, provided the documents are complete and in order. Billings are processed at three levels: Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC) Regional Secretariat, PEAC National Secretariat, and DepEd CO.

Schools may check the status of their submissions through their accounts in the Voucher Management System (VMS), an online information system for SHS VP participating schools.

Although schools were allowed to create their billing statements for the first semester as early as July 2016, the DepEd CO received bulk of the submissions in the fourth quarter of the year (October-November) due to some technical difficulties encountered by the schools in the generation of billing statements.

The DepEd CO continues to receive billing statements, which are processed immediately upon receipt on a ‘first-come, first-served basis.’ Rest assured that the Department is doing its best to facilitate the payments in a more timely and efficient manner. (DepEd)