BACOLOD CITY – The city government of Bacolod will open the bidding for its P11.8-million purchase of bags and other school supplies for public elementary pupils in the city on June 13.

Bids and Awards chairman Goldwyn Nifras said that during the pre-bid conference last week only Sunrise Marketing expressed interest to join the bidding.

Aside from bags, the city will also purchase notebooks, pencil, ruler and crayons, he said.

Nifras said in a radio interview that once the project is awarded to the winning bidder, he hopes the items will be delivered within the month.

There have been complaints on the delay of the purchase because classes already started last June 4, but Nifras said they still had to make changes in the purchase request and validate the prices of the school items.

Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson had earlier asked parents of children

not to buy all the school supplies their children need as they can avail of free school items soon.

The payment for miscellaneous fees of public elementary and high school students in Bacolod is also being subsidized by the city government.

Mayor Evelio Leonardia had earlier said they have found out that some parents do not send their children to school because they cannot afford to pay the miscellaneous fees.

The implementation of the free miscellaneous fees policy has resulted to increase in enrolment, the mayor said.*NLG