Photo by Bombo Radyo CDO
(Updated, August 21, 2022)
MANILA, Philippines — Starting next week, local government units (LGU) will be assisting the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the distribution of cash aid for indigent students, following a coordination with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
This development came after Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo apologized to the public and promised that the distribution of educational assistance to the indigent students in the country will be better in the next Saturdays.
Tulfo said that he already talked to Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos, saying the two departments decided to organize and conduct the payout in the cities and towns.
“Ayaw na po natin na maulit yung nangyari noong Sabado na nagkagulo at maraming hindi nabigyan ng ayuda dahil dumagsa ang tao na galing sa iba’t-ibang lugar [We don’t want the incident last Saturday to happen again, a lot of people from different places came and most of them did not get anything],” the DSWD secretary said.
Tulfo said huge crowds gathered outside the central and regional offices of the DSWD on Saturday as they waited to receive the one-time dole-out.
READ: Large crowd swarms DSWD central office for distribution of educational aid
Joint DSWD, DILG efforts
“Starting next week naman, tutulong na ang local government units,” Tulfo said in a press briefing.
(Starting next week, the local government units will assist us.)
“Pero ang magma-manage po nito ay ang DSWD social workers, mga empleyado po ng DSWD main ang magbabantay. Ang payout lamang po ay sa munisipyo, at lungsod, para po synchronized tayo at hindi magulo,” he added.
(But the DSWD social workers and employees will manage the distribution. Only the payout will be provided in the municipalities and cities, so we would become more synchronized and orderly.)
Tulfo said the DSWD will be signing a memorandum of agreement with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) for the distribution of the cash aid at the various local government units.
“Ang gagawin po namin simple lamang, magkakaroon po kami ng memorandum of agreement with DILG, para tulungan po tayo ng mga LGU para hindi na po kayo pupunta sa amin, doon na po kayo mismo sa inyong mga lungsod, munisipyo magkakaroon ng payout,” Tulfo explained.
(What we would do is just simple, we will sign a memorandum of agreement with the DILG so the LGUs would help us and you won’t come here, you would only have to go to your respective cities and municipalities where there is payout.)
Tulfo said a miscommunication triggered the gathering of the large crowds outside the department’s central and regional offices.
The DSWD on Friday announced that it will be distributing some P500 million in cash assistance to indigent students to help them pay for education-related expenses.
Organizing the distribution
According to Tulfo, last Saturday there were at least 48,000 students who had been given educational assistance, amounting to P141 million.
In the said memorandum, a social worker from the DSWD will interview the client while the LGU will be the one to determine, where the payout will be conducted. The LGU will also be the one to provide and assign additional cashier, police, traffic enforcers and village watchmen.
The DSWD worker will also be the one to determine how much educational assistance will be given to every student.