ILOILO City – “Gutom gid kag kapoy.” Starving and exhausted.
This was how a 42-year-old mother from Zarraga, Iloilo described what she and thousands of other parents and students went through on Saturday at the Iloilo Sports Complex here where the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region 6 released to students-in-crisis financial aid under its program called Assistance for Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS).
DSWD Region 6 did not have the logistics to deal with the massive number of beneficiaries.
A frustrated Mayor Jerry Treñas of Iloilo City called it “stupid planning”.
According to the mother who asked that she be identified only by her name Josie, she and other mothers with school-aged children from their barangay left for the Iloilo Sports Complex in La Paz district as early as 3 a.m. so they could be accommodated early.
When they reached the sports complex, however, thousands were already there.
DSWD started releasing the financial aid at 8 a.m. It was agonizingly snail-paced. The regional office did not have enough staff to serve the thousands of beneficiaries from all over Iloilo city and province.
‘DISORGANIZED’
As the day progressed, the students and/or parents coming over to the sports complex further ballooned, with people spilling to the street outside it and braving the scorching heat of the sun.
Some vented their frustration on social media. “Chaotic”, “disorganized” and “disorderly” were some of the words they used to describe the situation.
Starving, tired and sweating, according to Josie, by around noon she decided to just go home. She did not want to be a medical emergency like the others who fainted and had to be revived, she said.
”Mahulat na lang ko sa banwa,” she told Panay News.
Josie learned that the DSWD would be changing its tack in releasing the educational assistance – tapping the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) which has direct supervision of local government units.
The assistance is P1,000 for elementary students, P2,000 for those in high school, P3,000 for those in senior high school, and P4,000 for those in college or taking up vocational courses. Qualified beneficiaries must present their enrollment certificates / registration forms and school identification cards.
Iloilo Sports Complex’s Sports Development Officer IV Ray Cabarles estimated Saturday’s crowd at 10,000 including those who outside the sports complex waiting to get in.
The situation was similar to other provinces in Region 6.
By around 5 p.m. or passed it, DSWD announced it would resume the releasing of assistance next Saturday, Aug. 27, and by that time with the help of DILG already.
Data released by DSWD-6 at 8 p.m. on Saturday showed it had served 5,144 beneficiaries in the whole region, releasing a total of P20.7 million worth of financial assistance.
Here’s the breakdown of the served beneficiaries and the amount released:
* Iloilo city and province – 1,713 beneficiaries (P7,750,000)
* Aklan – 719 beneficiaries (P2,671,000)
* Antique – 613 beneficiaries (P2,263,000)
* Capiz – 957 beneficiaries (P4,700,000)
* Guimaras – 555 beneficiaries (P1,173,000)
* Negros Occidental including Bacolod City – 587 beneficiaries (P2,203,000)
According to Atty. May Rago-Castillo, regional information officer of DSWD-6, they coordinated with the Philippine National Police for crowd control and security at the Iloilo Sports Complex.
But Mayor Treñas was unimpressed. He slammed the uncontrolled overcrowding and DSWD-6’s lack of coordination with the city government for such a huge activity.
The city’s chief executive expressed fear for the safety and health of the thousands of people that gathered at the sports complex.
“This activity was not well-thought-of. If students get harmed I will be filing criminal and administrative charges against all those responsible for this stupid planning and execution,” said Treñas.
‘BETTER PROCESS NEXT TIME’
DSWD-6 is currently headed by an officer-in-charge, Delia Bagolcol, following the appointment of its then regional director, Ma. Evelyn Macapobre, as DSWD assistant secretary.
Rago acknowledged Treñas’ concerns, calling them valid. She assured the people of the city and the rest of Western Visayas that the people’s safety, order and peace are also DSWD’s top concerns.
The next payouts are on Aug. 27, Sept. 3, 10, 17 and 24. DSWD’s central office announced it would sign a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the DILG to avoid a repeat of the “uncontrolled” crowd on the first day of the distribution of educational aid.
The MOA should be inked today, according to DSWD secretary Erwin Tulfo in Metro Manila.
DSWD-6’s Bagolcol saodo they would set up payout sites in strategic areas per district.
“Ang educational assistance bulig para sa mga estudyante nga yara sa krisis para mabuligan sa ila nga mga galastuhan sa ila pag-eskwela subong sang school supplies, school projects, allowance kag iban pa nga mga galamiton,” said Bagolcol.
Applicants are encouraged to fill out first an online form through https://bit.ly/dswdfo6EducAssistance; scan a QR code, or send an email to dswd.educassistance@gmail.com.
Also, emails to extension offices and messages sent to designated mobile phone numbers earlier disseminated will be catered to schedule the assessment of clients.
“Ang mga kwalipikado nga benepisyaryo mga: breadwinners, biskan indi sila head of the family; ukon working students; ukon orphaned, abandoned kag ukon naga-istar kaupod sa ila mga himata; kabataan sang solo parents; ukon ang ginikanan wala trabaho ukon overseas Filipinos; ukon Persons with Disability nga yara sa krisis nga sitwasyon, kabataan sang rebel returnees; ukon mga persons deprived of liberty, kabataan nga may ara HIV ukon naga-istar upod ang ginikanan nga may HIV; biktima sang pang-abuso ukon displacement; ukon yara sa krisis tungod sa human-induced ukon natural calamities,” said Bagolcol.
A student-beneficiary’s mother was thankful. Lallene Casio, 42, of Lapuz, Iloilo City received P4,000 for her first year college student child enrolled at the Iloilo Science and Technology University.
“May inog bakal na ako school supplies sang akon bata,” she said.
Another beneficiary was ISAT-U graduating student John Paul Tinong of Barangay Calaparan, Arevalo, Iloilo City who also received P4,000 cash assistance.
“Thank you, DSWD. Dako gid ini nga bulig para sa amon nga mga estudyante,” he said.
DSWD secretary Erwin Tulfo earlier apologized to those who were not catered.
“Sa mga galit po sa amin ngayon dahil hindi po namin natulungan today…ang amin pong taos-pusong paumanhin. We will do better next Saturday at sa darating na limang Sabado,” he said./PN
