More than 1.4 million learners across Cebu Province are set to benefit from a P372-million school supplies program this year, as the provincial government rolled out changes aimed at making educational assistance more learner-focused and free from political branding.
The distribution, which covers kindergarten to senior high school students, is expected to reach all municipalities and component cities in Cebu before August, according to Provincial Local School Board focal person Christopher “Dong” Baricuatro.
Alongside the expanded supply package, the Capitol has redesigned student notebooks by removing photographs of government officials and replacing them with educational content and the official provincial seal.
Baricuatro said the move follows Governor Pamela Baricuatro’s directive to ensure that learning materials directly support students’ academic needs.
“Ang instructions ni Gov. Pam kay ang mga bata maka-concentrate sa ilang studies rather looking at pictures,” Baricuatro said.
Under the new design, notebook covers now feature learning aids such as multiplication tables, numbers, and geometric shapes instead of images of elected officials.
Officials said the redesign is intended to increase the educational value of the materials while reinforcing the purpose of the assistance program.
“Ang gusto ni Gov. Pam is to focus lang on the education and not on the personalities,” Baricuatro added.
He stressed that the program is funded through taxpayers’ money and should not be used for political promotion.
“Kani siya gikan man ni sa province, dili mani personal money. Provincial budget ni siya gikan sa taxpayers’ money, so angay lang nga ihatag sa mga katawhan nga walay pili ug wala puy personalities,” he said.
The initiative also aligns with the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s anti-epal policy, which discourages the inclusion of names and images of public officials on government-funded projects.
“Mao na ang instruction ni Gov. Pam nga di siya ganahan nga makuanan siya sa DILG nga anti-epal,” Baricuatro said.
The Capitol also opted not to discard around 17,000 remaining notebooks from the previous administration, which still bear images of former governor Gwendolyn Garcia and members of the Provincial Board.
Instead, officials will modify the materials by placing stickers containing only the provincial seal and adding spaces for students’ names, sections, and grade levels.
Baricuatro said the decision was made to avoid waste while ensuring the remaining supplies are still usable for learners.
For this school year, kindergarten pupils will receive crayons, pencils, rulers, school bags, writing pads, and 350-milliliter tumblers.
Elementary and junior high school students will also receive tumblers along with other basic school supplies, while senior high school learners will be provided with stainless steel tumblers, notebooks, writing pads, ballpens, and plastic envelopes.
The provincial government is coordinating with local government units for the release of the supplies, with some areas scheduled for direct delivery while others will pick up allocations to speed up distribution.
Photo courtesy of PressReader
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