DSWD suspends educational assistance

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has temporarily suspended the processing of educational assistance requests under its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) fund as their budget for such assistance has run out.

Social Welfare Secretary Virginia Orogo said they have been swamped with requests for education assistance since the opening of classes in public schools and state universities and colleges early last June.

Orogo said they have learned that local government units (LGUs) have been referring their constituents straight to the DSWD, instead of tapping their own funds to help those in need.

“They are too many. We learned that local government units have been telling their constituents to go to the DSWD for education assistance,” Orogo told The STAR.

“That’s wrong,” the DSWD said, explaining that LGUs should first tap their own funds to help their constituents.

Orogo said that the DSWD taps their AICS to accommodate such requests, but the DSWD was there to just augment LGUs’ own funds.

It was learned that the DSWD issues P1,000 as education assistance to elementary pupils; P1,500 for high school students and P3,000 for college students.