Manila, July 24 -- The Department of Education (DepEd) on Friday said it has secured its third unmodified opinion from the Commission on Audit (COA), alongside a "dramatic" jump in compliance with the recommendations for previous years.

This comes as the DepEd earned the COA's most favorable audit opinion under the helm of Education Secretary Sonny Angara, demonstrating the agency's preparedness to adhere to the applicable financial reporting framework.

Securing an unmodified opinion means the agency's financial statements are fairly prepared and are compliant with accounting standards.

In a statement, the education chief highlighted how the agency's reforms helped prompt fiscal discipline and system-wide cleanup.

This compliance p...