MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government has signed a pact to help the Department of Social Welfare and Development in its distribution of educational cash aid.
Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. and Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo signed the memorandum of agreement on Wednesdays, days after the chaotic initial distribution of the DSWD educational cash aid.
Under the agreement, the DILG will assist the DSWD through its local government units deploy personnel to payout sites with the support of health and other service workers. Security will be provided by the Philippine National Police, which is under the DILG.
Last Saturday, the first day of cash aid distribution, huge crowds flocked to the DSWD central and regional offices. In Zamboanga City, a stampede at the distribution site injured 29 people.
“This partnership is what this administration would like to establish — to have unity in action, employ bayanihan. A lesson which we learned well, especially as last Saturday was an eye opener to the extent of the need of the Filipinos for aid amid the pandemic and inflation,” Tulfo said.
“Your government heard it loud and clear. And I assure you that the Marcos administration will take care of this problem. Rest assured that our actions mean to serve well and DSWD will continue to exhaust all efforts to fulfill its mandate in line with our core value of service wherein every Filipino is significant,” he added.
According to Tulfo, the amounts of educational assistance will be given as follows:
- P1,000 for elementary students
- P2,000 for junior high school students
- P3,000 for senior high school students
- P4,000 for college students or those taking vocational courses
Up to three students per family can get cash assistance, for which the DSWD has earmarked P500 million, according to Tulfo.
From inside a vehicle parked outside the DSWD central office in Quezon City, an administrative officer receives and sorts documents from the hundreds of education aid applicants who turned up on Saturday, Aug. 20, 2022. (FILE PHOTO)
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