Ecija Sangguniang Panlalawigan probes alleged overpriced school bags

CABANATUAN CITY , Philippines   – The Sangguniang Panlalawigan is investigating reports that 200,000 school bags distributed to schoolchildren in Nueva Ecija were grossly overpriced.

Vice Gov. Edward Thomas Joson, SP presiding officer, said that the provincial government will have to shed light on the exorbitantly priced school bags.

The bags, reportedly costing P20 million, were distributed all over the province by Gov. Aurelio Umali and his wife, third district Rep. Czarina Umali, were allegedly overpriced by P40 to P60 each.

Joson said that a supplier told him that the school bags, which were handed out to schoolkids from Grades 1 to 6, were overpriced. He said that each bag, according to the supplier whom he did not identify, would cost only about P50 to P60 each.

“The supplier told me that such kind of bags would cost only about half of the P100 it was supposed to cost each bag,” he said.

The STAR called the office of the governor but his staff answered he was not available.

The vice governor said the SP would also look into the provincial government’s utilization of its special education fund from which the money to buy the bags was sourced.

He said Randolph Alingig, provincial budget officer, could not explain the cost of the bags.

Joson said that the school bags were not only overpriced but also defective as they get destroyed easily. “In fact, many parents of schoolchildren have also been complaining that the school bags were of poor quality,” he said.

He also questioned why the school bags were distributed way past the opening of classes when many of the parents have already bought school bags for their kids.

Joson said that the allocation by the provincial government of P20 million for school bags indicated that its priorities are misplaced since the amount could have been better used in building additional classrooms and computers among other facilities.

The STAR tried to contact provincial administrator Alejandro Abesamis last week but he did not return calls. In an earlier talk with The STAR, Abesamis vowed to give the provincial government’s side on issues involving the Umali administration.

The SP has been investigating other alleged anomalies of the Umali administration, including allegedly overpriced multi-cabs distributed to various barangays.  – Manny Galvez