PSS said junk food and other “non-nutritious” items were being sold to students by the kantinas.
In a memorandum, Commissioner of Education Rita A. Sablan said all kantinas must cease operation until guidelines are implemented.
In an interview with the elementary school principals’ representative, Ignacia Demapan of Kagman Elementary School, she said almost all public schools have kantinas on campus, and that they help raise funds for the schools’ immediate needs such as fuel and toiletries.
Under a memorandum of agreement between the schools and the kantinas, these stores remit a certain percentage of their daily sales to the schools.
At Kagman Elementary School, the kantina is operated by Lucky Restaurant which provides 25 percent of its daily sales to the school, or over $400 a month.
Demapan said since her school was established in 2000, a kantina has always been operating on campus.
According to Sablan’s memorandum, PSS wants to clarify more things about how kantinas are being paid and to see if the MOA is not being violated by both parties.
Based on current policy, a kantina’s operation should not be in conflict with the PSS breakfast and lunch meal program which is funded by the federal government.
A kantina should not offer food to students during the serving of the two federally funded meals.
“We understand that PSS wants to correct and make things clear about the kantinas’ operation,” Demapan said. “The vendors must comply with the needed health certificate requirements and the food must be at the right temperature at all times.”
