Isolated incidents in education aid distribution – DSWD

MANILA, Philippines — Only isolated incidents cropped up in the second distribution of education assistance to indigent students-in-crisis nationwide last Saturday, as it was significantly improved by the assistance provided by local government units, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

DSWD spokesman Assistant Secretary Romel Lopez gave assurance that the agency would work to address a few kinks to ensure that the distribution of the P1,000 to P4,000 educational assistance in the succeeding Saturdays will be smoothly and orderly.

Lopez admitted that while there was great improvement in the distribution in its second week, prospective beneficiaries in some areas, especially in the provinces, still endured long lines and even went home empty-handed.

“We can say it was successful, we want to keep it that way, although there is a lot of room for improvements, we will do them. Just the same, we are just asking for the cooperation of our fellow citizens,” Lopez said in English and Filipino at the Balitaan sa Maynila forum recently.

As of yesterday morning, the DSWD had tallied the issuance of more than P199.6 million worth of educational assistance to 79,747 beneficiaries nationwide at the end of the second Saturday distribution.

The agency said the bulk of assistance went to 26,704 college and vocational level students amounting to P106.6 million, while more than P33.9 million went to 11,286 senior high school students, P34.4 million to 17,254 high school students and P24.5 million to 24,503 elementary pupils.

In total, the DSWD has distributed P387.9 million worth of educational assistance to some 153,315 beneficiaries after two distribution days.

Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo said the agency has a P1.5-billion fund for the program for which they expect to cover 375,000 to a maximum of 400,000 beneficiaries.

In Region 1, almost 12,000 student beneficiaries were given the cash assistance, based on the second payout last Saturday.

DSWD regional director Marie Angela Gopalan said the agency has distributed P35,424,000 to 11,953 students who were registered under the “assistance to individuals/families in crisis situation (AICS).”

Gopalan reported that 2,348 students in La Union received cash assistance amounting to P6,631,000; 1,859 student beneficiaries in Pangasinan received a total of P3,574,000; 1,285 students in Ilocos Sur received P2,564,000 and 746 students in Ilocos Norte got P2,233,000.

She said 6,238 students were given assistance totaling P15,002,000 in the second payout last Saturday and 5,715 students got a total of P20,422,000 in the first payout last Aug. 20.

Last Saturday’s payout in La Union was conducted at the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University while the one in Pangasinan was held at Ramon J. Guico Sports and Civic Center in Binalonan town.

In Ilocos Sur, the cash aid distribution was held in Vigan City while in Ilocos Norte, it was in Laoag City.

The third payout is scheduled this coming Saturday, Sept. 3 while the three remaining schedules of distribution of cash assistance will be held on Sept. 10, 17 and 24.

Applicants can register online or at DSWD offices in their respective cities or municipalities.

Gopalan said the AICS is a regular DSWD program that provides various assistance, including educational aid, to poor Filipinos who are in crisis and/or victims of disasters. – Jun Elias