BACOLOD CITY – Mayor Greg Gasataya has pledged timely distribution of free school supplies to public elementary school students in this highly-urbanized city next school year.

To avoid delays experienced this year, Gasataya said he has instructed the City Treasurer and the Budget Officer to start early preparations for the school supplies program.

Gasataya acknowledged that this year’s distribution was affected by constraints linked to the recent midterm elections.

“We have to understand that it’s election season, so there were delays and circumstances,” he said.

A memorandum was issued early this month directing city departments to initiate the procurement process in advance, not only for school supplies but also for other local programs.

Gasataya stressed that all procedures must still follow the standard government procurement guidelines.

“I assure our residents that next school year, the process will begin much earlier to prevent delays,” the mayor added.

Gasataya declined to commit to a specific distribution date this year, citing the need to fully comply with government rules.

“There are no shortcuts—we must adhere to proper government procedures,” he said.

Councilor Al Espino, chairman of the Committee on Education of the City Council, had earlier noted that the city initially aimed to begin distribution by the class opening on June 16.

However, revisions to Republic Act 9184, or the Government Procurement Reform Act, caused unexpected delays.

The Department of Education (DepEd) has processed a P29-million purchase request for basic school supplies, including notebooks, writing tools, and paper.

Last year, more than 72,000 students from kindergarten to Grade 6 in 44 public schools benefited from the initiative with distributed conducted in August.

The program is anchored on a 2016 ordinance authored by Councilor Caesar Distrito, which mandates the annual provision of free educational materials to all public elementary pupils in this city.