BACOLOD City – The city government kicks off today, September 17, the distribution of free school bags and supplies to public elementary pupils under City Ordinance (CO) No. 09-16-787.
Mayor Greg Gasataya is expected to lead the ceremonial distribution.
Councilor Al Victor Espino, chair of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) committee on education, told the media yesterday that although the supplies did not arrive in time for the June school opening, “it’s better late than never.”
The delay, he explained, was due to adjustments under Republic Act (RA) 12009 (New Government Procurement Act of 2024), which modernizes the procurement process.
The supplies were finally delivered to the city on Monday, September 15.
Originally, the city had set aside P15 million annually for the program, but this year the allocation rose to P32 million due to increasing prices of school materials. The Special Education Fund (SEF) provided additional augmentation.
Meanwhile, a proposed ordinance authored by Councilor Caesar Distrito is pending before the SP to amend CO 09-16-787. The measure seeks to raise the annual budget from P15 million to P50 million to keep up with rising enrollment and costs of instructional materials.
He said the amendment also aligns procurement guidelines with RA 12009, which repealed RA 9184, ensuring transparency, efficiency, and competitiveness. It further calls for the creation of a committee that will coordinate with the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) to ensure that school supplies are delivered on time — ideally before or within the first week of classes./PN
