Free shoes for HS students pushed

CEBU, Philippines —  Public high school students in Cebu Province could soon receive free school shoes as the Provincial School Board prepares to seek approval for a ?40-million supplemental budget during its meeting next month.

Cebu Provincial School Board focal person Christopher Baricuatro said the proposal will be presented during their meeting on Aug. 11 as part of the board's supplemental budget requests.

Baricuatro said the amount would not be enough to cover all learners from kindergarten to Grade 12, prompting the board to prioritize junior high school students for the initial phase of the program.

"Sa supplemental budget is P40 million pero dili kaya matagaan ang tanan levels ug tanan bata from kinder to Grade 12," said Baricuatro.

"So among gitan-aw is high school ang unahon, then next year kay kindergarten and senior high school," he added.

He said the initial beneficiaries being eyed are students from Grades 7 to 10 enrolled in public schools throughout Cebu Province.

According to Baricuatro, one of the reasons behind the proposed procurement was the situation faced by many students following last year's earthquake and Typhoon Tino, when school supplies, including footwear, were either destroyed or washed away.

The proposed footwear will be rubber shoes in a Crocs-style design and will come in black and navy blue colors.

Aside from the school shoes proposal, Baricuatro said the Provincial School Board will also seek approval for another supplemental budget intended for the construction of additional school buildings in the municipalities of Cordova and San Francisco.

He said the proposal came after Governor Pamela Baricuatro personally visited the two areas last week and saw the condition of several schools, particularly Santa Cruz National High School in San Francisco, where students continue to face a shortage of classrooms.

"Didto si Gov a week ago ug nakita niya mismo ang kahimtang sa mga estudyante, labi na sa Santa Cruz National High School sa San Francisco nga wala gyud classroom. Mao nang among i-propose ang smart classroom o one-storey building nga adunay lima ka classrooms," Baricuatro said.

The Provincial School Board is likewise proposing an additional ?10 million supplemental budget for the repair of classrooms in public schools across Cebu Province. (CEBU NEWS)