Amid ongoing efforts to digitalize education and the investigation into the Department of Education’s (DepEd) controversial laptop procurement deal, a teachers’ group has renewed its call for the government to provide all public school teachers with free, high-quality laptops—emphasizing that access to functional digital tools is essential support for educators, not a luxury or added benefit.

The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) reiterated its appeal for the government to equip all public school teachers with free, reliable laptops, stressing that such tools are not privileges but essential resources for their daily teaching duties.

TDC National Chairperson Benjo Basas emphasized that laptops are now indispensable tools in modern teaching and must be treated as essential government-issued equipment, not as luxuries.

“Ang laptop ay hindi na lamang option, lalong hindi luho (A laptop is no longer just an option, much less a luxury),” Basas said, noting that nearly all teaching-related tasks require a laptop—from preparing lesson plans and conducting classes to computing grades and accomplishing various administrative forms.

“Ang laptop ay nesesidad sa araw-araw naming buhay bilang mga guro (A laptop is a daily necessity in our lives as teachers),” he added. “Kung ang mga law enforcement personnel ay may government-issued firearms, ang mga guro naman ay dapat magkaroon ng government-issued laptops (If law enforcement personnel are issued government firearms, then teachers should likewise be issued government laptops).”

TDC’s renewed call comes in the wake of the Office of the Ombudsman’s decision to file graft charges against several former education and procurement officials involved in the controversial 2020 laptop procurement under then-Education Secretary Leonor Briones.

The Commission on Audit (COA) had previously flagged DepEd and the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) for purchasing outdated and overpriced laptops—costing around P58,300 each—that were later deemed unsuitable for instructional use.

The inflated cost significantly reduced the number of laptops initially intended for distribution.

Basas described the procurement as especially damaging, as it occurred during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when digital tools were crucial for distance learning.

“Naganap ang eskandalong ito sa kasagsagan pa naman ng pandemya, kung kailan lubos na kailangan ng mga guro ang mga kagamitang gaya ng laptop upang maipagpatuloy ang pag-aaral ng mga bata sa gitna ng kawalan ng face-to-face classes (The scandal happened at a time when teachers needed laptops the most to continue educating students amid the absence of face-to-face classes),” he said.

“Ngayon ang pagkakataon ng ating gobyerno para itama ito at bumawi, sa pamamagitan ng pagkakaloob ng laptop sa lahat ng guro sa pampublikong paaralan sa buong bansa (Now is the government’s chance to correct that mistake and make amends by providing laptops to all public school teachers across the country),” he added.

TDC welcomed the Ombudsman’s move to pursue charges, stressing the importance of holding officials accountable while also pushing for tangible support for affected educators.

“Kinikilala namin ang hakbang ng Ombudsman (We recognize the Ombudsman’s action),” Basas said. “Dapat lamang na panagutin ang lahat ng may kinalaman, sakaling mapatunayan ang iregularidad o katiwalian (Everyone involved must be held accountable if wrongdoing is proven),” he added.

Basas further emphasized that beyond accountability, the government must make amends for its past shortcomings by delivering the benefits that teachers rightfully deserve.

The group reiterated that laptops are as essential to today’s classrooms as chalk, books, or learning spaces. They stressed that providing teachers with the proper tools is critical to ensuring quality education amid the growing digital demands of the 21st-century learning environment.