In Cebu City, public school pupils to get free tablets instead of school supplies, uniforms

Cebu City Mayor Edgar Labella. | File Photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines –Instead of buying school supplies and uniforms, Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella said that he wanted the P500 million aid to public school pupils realigned for the purchase of tablets and the reproduction of modules that they could use for their online classes.

Labella said that he was also trying to determine how else the city government can be of assistance to the Department of Education (DepEd) in their implementation of distance learning in the incoming school year that will officially start on Monday, October 5.

City Hall included an allocation of P500 million in its 2020 budget for the purchase of school supplies and uniforms for the city’s around 190,000 elementary pupils.

However, Labella said that the distribution of school supplies, while the city is still under a pandemic, will no longer be necessary.  If pursued, this will only give minors an excuse to out of their homes and risk infection.

“We will hold in abeyance the distribution of the school supplies, but we are in discussion with the DepEd on how we can assist them in this modular learning,” the mayor said.

Labella said he already gave instructions for the local finance committee to study the possibility of realigning the P500 million on the purchase of tablets and/or the printing of modules, whichever DepEd Cebu City would agree with.

He said that his administration is committed to “supplement the needs of the public school students as much as it can.” / dcb