Capitol: P2.6-M school supplies overlooked, undistributed since 2017

Close to 800 sets of school supplies funded by the provincial government were recovered in a junkshop in Mandaue City.

CEBU CITY, Philippines —At least P2.6 million worth of school supplies intended for public school graders were left undistributed since 2017, said the Provincial General Services Office (PGSO).

Bernard Calderon, acting chief of PGSO, said their inventory on provincial properties and supplies in the different warehouses of the Capitol revealed that there were school supplies since 2017 that were “overlooked by the previous administration.”

The school supplies were stored in the basement of the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) in Mandaue City and Hope Center in Banilad in Cebu City.

Calderon said the items were still in good condition despite being stored for almost two years.

Among the undistributed items were sets of writing pads and notebooks good for kindergarten up to grade six pupils’ use, rulers, crayons, pencils and school bags. The sets cost P502,457.

Some 41,473 empty schoolbags worth P1,506,447 were also recovered along with 1,644 laptop bags costing P333,800 and 5,823 envelope bags worth P262,035.

Read more: Capitol employee sells history books, school supplies to Mandaue junk shop

Calderon, in a press conference on Thursday, August 8, said they would be distributing the recovered items to schoolchildren in the province beginning next week.

The P37,000 worth of Capitol-funded school supplies and history books which were retrieved from a junkshop in Mandaue City early in July are among the items to be distributed.

“Magamit pa man ni. Maka-minus pa ni sa expenses sa students throughout the extent of the school year,” said Calderon./dbs