Capitol to give free school supplies to kids

CEBU, Philippines - To lessen the burden of the parents buying school supplies for their children, the Cebu provincial government is scheduled to give free school supplies to elementary and high school students.

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia said the province is now preparing the notebooks, paper pads, ballpens, schoolbags and other school supplies to be given away.

“I think this are now being prepared for distribution,” she said during an interview yesterday.

Next week will be the official opening of classes for the public schools for elementary and high school division for school year 2012-2013.

Garcia also had a message for the students, telling them she hopes they will continue to study eagerly.

“We are willing to help them as much as we can, in fact we added additional classrooms for them to attend the class and to lessen their teachers not under the mango tree or guava tree,” she said.

In fact, Garcia added over 800 classrooms have been constructed and they will continue constructing more classrooms.

Moreover, the governor likewise encouraged the provincial government’s scholars and all the valedictorians and salutatorians to study hard and added they have 100 city scholars who will be coming in.

“This only to assure our youth that we will do all that we can to give that opportunity to acquire an education that will open doors or open opportunities for them to make better lives for themselves and for their families,” she said.

Meanwhile, Garcia yesterday gave cash incentives to Cebu athletes who won gold medals in 2012 Palarong Pambansa held in Lingayen, Pangasinan.

Catmon volleyball team members Bernaline Arizo, Justine Therese Bragat, Chenae Basarte, Janzel Bate, April Joy Butanes, Mary Angelo Castillo, Umedina Gabito, Wella Mae Ortega and Riva Ryan Tibay received P60,000 while Tuburan double lawn tennis players Alexis Ondoy and Jude Tabo-tabo received P30,000.

Garcia said giving incentives would make the athletes push themselves to go beyond their limits. (FREEMAN)