BACOLOD City – The city government here is expected to launch the distribution of free school supplies for public primary school learners by the end of this month.
Councilor Al Victor Espino, chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) committee on education, said they are hopeful the city could start the distribution of school supplies by the end of August following the restart of the procurement process.
The program is mandated under City Ordinance No. 09-16-787, which allots an annual budget of P15 million for the distribution of bags and supplies to public elementary school students.
For this year’s procurement, however, the city government has allocated a higher budget of P29 million to accommodate around 72,000 recipients.
Espino assured that all student recipients will receive the supplies which include transparent bag, notebooks, pad paper, ballpens, and pencils, among others.
Meanwhile, the proposed ordinance to amend CO 09-16-787 is still pending at the SP.
Last month, the SP approved on first reading the proposal to increase in the annual allocation, from P15 million to P50 million, marking more than a 200 percent hike.
Councilor Caesar Distrito, author of the proposed ordinance, said the amendment aims to enhance support for public education and ensure that all schoolchildren are equipped with essential learning materials.
It also seeks to address the growing number of enrollees in elementary schools and the rising costs of instructional materials, he added.
The amendment further updates the city’s procurement guidelines to align with Republic Act (RA) 12009, or the New Government Procurement Act, which repealed RA 9184. The updated guidelines are expected to promote greater transparency, efficiency, and competitiveness in the procurement of educational materials.
Additionally, it requires the creation of a committee to focus on the procurement process in coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), and setting a required timetable so that school supplies should arrive on time or at least within the week of school opening.
Under the amendment, the definition of “school supplies” is expanded to include a comprehensive list of basic learning tools such as notebooks, folders, pencils, pens, rulers, pencil cases, erasers, sharpeners, and pad paper. Depending on the availability of funds, the city may also include school bags, Physical Education (PE) uniforms, and school uniforms.
“Indi pag e-limit sa kon ano ang ihatag by way of making an exact budget. May ordinance but indi paghigtan sang specific nga amount,” Espino said. “Pareho subong, may ordinance kita na fix ang amount. Considering may factor sa inflation, prices of goods, and number of the students, gani subong kulang na ang allocation… It has to be adaptive sa current time.”
He however added that he respectfully reserves the chief executive’s rights to make the decision on the matter./PN
