Customs bureau to donate forfeited gadgets to DepED

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) said Tuesday it would donate forfeited and abandoned gadgets to the Department of Education (DepEd) for use in its distance learning program.

Gadgets such as mobile phones, laptops, and tablets will be turned over to the DepEd, Customs Asst. Commissioner Philip Vincent Maronilla said. The initial donation would come from the Port of Clark, he added.

“This is in compliance with the directive of Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero on the immediate disposal of forfeited and abandoned goods,” Maronilla said.

The Customs bureau, according to Maronilla, has already conducted an inventory of seized and abandoned electronic gadgets in preparation for the donation process.

The Customs bureau however still has to comply with existing rules and regulations for the donation in compliance with the Customs Modernization and Tariff Acrt. The inventoried items were covered by forfeiture decision and final decree of abandonment.

The Philippines in recent months have seen a surge in the purchase of laptops, mobile phones, and tablets as Filipinos shifted to digital means of work and education, the Department of Trade and Industry had said.

But despite the availability of online learning, a survey by the education department showed that many students and parents still prefer to use printed learning modules for distance learning, citing lack of access to gadgets and the internet.

The DepEd makes available its learning resource materials on its online platform DepEd Commons. Educational materials are also available on Education PH.