DepEd gets second wave of BOC donation

On Mar 17, 2021

From left: Department of Education (DepEd) undersecretaries, Alain Pascua and Annalyn Sevilla, hold some of the electronic devices donated by the Bureau of Customs thru Comm. Rey Leonardo Guerrero and Port of NAIA district collector, Carmelita ‘Mimel’ Talusan, OCCOM, March 16, 2021. This was the second donation of the BOC since January 29, 2021, when it donated more than 5,000 pieces of confiscated cellphones and tablets to the department (photo courtesy of BOC-PIAD).

THE Bureau of Customs on Tuesday, March 16, 2021, turned over to the Department of Education (DepEd) its second donation of electronic gadgets and other confiscated and abandoned smuggled items for the department’s ‘Bridge and Distance Learning Program.’

At a simple ceremony at the BOC’s main office at the Port of Manila, DepEd secretary, Leonor Briones, via Zoom, acknowledged the donation from Comm. Rey Leonardo Guerrero and Department of Finance (DOF) undersecretary, Antonette Tionko.

The donation consisted of abandoned and confiscated items such as, flashdrives, cellphones, 74 V7 monitors, 50 Fuji Xerox Multifunction Printers, Laptops, Routers, 14 ZTE Pocket WIFI, Lenovo Tablet, Computer Monitors, school bags, educational books, and children school shoes.

It can be recalled that last January 29, 2021, the BOC also turned over 5,038 electronic gadgets to DepEd, consisting of ‘Oppo A9’ and ‘A31’ mobile phones as well as ‘Huawei Mate’ mobile devices.

The gadgets were being transported out of Clark’s Freeport Zone when they were apprehended by the port’s personnel under district collector Atty. Ruby Alameda.

Last year, when it became apparent that DepEd would be hard-pressed in implementing its distance learning education program, Guerrero, with the approval of Department of Finance (DOF) secretary, Carlos Dominguez, ordered all customs collection districts to immediately conduct an inventory of all their seized electronic gadgets with the end view of assisting the education department.

Also present during Tuesday’s turn-over were DepEd Undersecretary Annalyn Sevilla, DepEd Undersecretary Alain Del B. Pascua, the BOC’s deputy commissioners and Port of NAIA District Collector Carmelita M. Talusan.

In his statement, Guerrero expressed the continuing support of the BOC to the Department of Education.

“We understand the need of the students specially during this time that education is hindered by the threat of COVID-19. We will continue to support DepEd’s programs to provide quality education to our students,” the customs chief said.

For her part, Briones thanked the BOC anew for its continuous support to DepEd and its ‘Bridge and Distant Learning Program’ that seeks to address the country’s educational needs despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

She also shared that the first donation of the BOC are now being distributed to schools in far flung areas.

Usec. Tionko, on the other hand, expressed hope that the devices and goods turned over to DepEd would help address the ‘digital gap’ among students and their teachers amid the pandemic.