THE distribution of free school supplies for all public elementary pupils in Bacolod City will be delayed this year.
Councilor Al Victor Espino, chairperson of the City Council committee on education, said the free school supplies will not be delivered in the opening of school classes next week.
“We admit our mistakes when we commit them. Our problem is the implementing rules and regulations of the new procurement law so we have a delay in the distribution of the school materials,” Espino said.
He added that they will hold a meeting with the Department of Education (DepEd)-Bacolod officials this week.
Espino noted that this year, the City has allocated P32 million for the procurement of free school supplies.
“We have to comply with (what is stated in the law). We also want to deliver it on time, but there’s a restriction because of the implementation of the new law (Republic Act [RA] 12009, or the New Government Procurement Act of 2024),” Espino said.
He said some of the bidding documents have been revised by the Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB) that should be complied with by all government procurement.
DepEd earlier announced that the opening of classes will be on June 16.
In 2016, the City Council approved the ordinance providing free educational materials to all students or public elementary schools in Bacolod, which was authored by former councilor Caesar Distrito.
Espino said they are hopeful to distribute the free school supplies before the end of June.
The City will provide school supplies, such as pencil, ballpen, notebook, paper, among others, to pupils from pre-school to grade six in all public elementary schools. (MAP)