People gather outside a DSWD office to receive the cash aid for indigent students. Photo by Bombo Radyo CDO
MANILA, Philippines — An indigent student is not required to present a certificate of indigency to receive the educational cash aid being offered by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is released, Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo said Saturday.
Tulfo made the statement after some regional DSWD offices reportedly still required those seeking the cash aid to submit certificates of indigency issued by their respective barangays.
The DSWD Secretary said indigent students who want to receive the cash aid need only to present a certificate of enrollment and/or their school identification card.
“So the requirement is enrolment certificate, and/or school ID,” Tulfo said in a press briefing.
“Wala pong indigency, yan po ang reason kung bakit kami dinagsa ng tao kasi inalis ko po yang indigency. Dahil po diyan sa indigency, madami po tayong kababayan ay hindi makahingi ng tulong kasi nga wala po silang pambayad ng 80 pesos or 100 pesos para po sa barangay indigency certificate,” he said.
(There is no [certificate of] indigency, that is the reason why people flocked to us because we removed the indigency requirement. Because of that indigency (certificate), many of our countrymen are not able to ask for help because they can not afford to pay P80 or P100 pesos for a barangay indigency certificate.)
Tulfo also said Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries and government scholars are not qualified to receive for the educational cash aid. He added that those who are not qualified to get the cash aid should return it to the DSWD.
The DSWD on Friday announced that it will be distributing P500 million in cash assistance to indigent students.
Tulfo said the assistance will be P1,000 for elementary students, P2,000 for junior high school students, P3,000 for senior high school students, and P4,000 for college students or those taking vocational courses.
Up to three students per family can get the cash assistance, according to Tulfo.
The first day of cash aid distribution saw huge crowds gathering at the DSWD central and regional offices. Tulfo blamed miscommunication for the distribution mess.