Mayor Greg Gasataya announced on Monday, May 4, that the Bacolod City government will provide free school bags and supplies to public school students from Kindergarten to Grade 6 ahead of the upcoming school year.
Students from Grade 7 to Grade 12 will also receive free school bags, along with PE uniforms, he said.
Gasataya said that despite the ongoing fuel crisis, the city remains committed to supporting students and easing the financial burden on families before classes begin in June.
“Please consider this not as an expense from the city government. For us, this is an investment in the future of the youth of Bacolod City. That’s why we are allocating enough resources to make it easier for students, so, there will be no reason for them not to stay in school,” he said.
A total of more than 111,000 students are expected to benefit from the initiative, including 64,625 students from Kindergarten to Grade 6 and 46,694 from Grade 7 to Grade 12, a press release from the Bacolod City Communications Office (BCCO) said.
Nearly ₱90 million from the Special Education Fund will be allocated for the distribution of free school bags and supplies this year. An additional ₱50 million has been set aside to expand the educational materials program, in line with City Ordinance No. 09-16-787, it said.
The amended ordinance provides free school kits containing notebooks, writing pads, pens, and pencils to all public elementary school pupils in the city.
“As much as possible, the city government will provide for the necessary needs of students in the midst of crisis. We believe one of the best things we can offer is free, quality education from Kindergarten to Senior High School,” Gasataya said.
The mayor said that the decision came after a series of coordination meetings with the Department of Education – Schools Division of Bacolod.
The city government is currently finalizing distribution measures to ensure that all school bags, supplies, and uniforms are delivered before the start of classes this school year, the BCCO said.*
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