BY GLENDA TAYONA
ILOILO City – Some students or their parents do not know how to apply online for the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) educational assistance.
“We are thinking of addressing this (concern),” said Atty. May Rago-Castillo, DSWD regional information officer.
“We are thankful sa communities nga gabuligay. They coach their neighbors sa registration online,” she added.
DSWD will strategize the distribution of the aid for qualified beneficiaries from Geographically-Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA) areas in the region.
“We will issue an advisory once this is finalized,” said Rago-Castillo.
During the second Saturday payouts (Aug. 27), Rago-Castillo said there were still walk-in applicants despite the announcement that only those who received text messages or e-mails after registering online will be catered.
“Wala sila gin assess. Wala sila gin payout–tan. But ginkuha ila contact details for purposes of scheduling,” she clarified.
According to Rago-Castillo, since they could not cater walk-ins, the regional office set-up a drop box for these applicants to leave contact details.
The boxes were situated in the entrance of every payout site.
Rago-Castillo clarified that that the releasing of educational assistance which is under the DSWD’s Assistance for Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS), is only done on Saturdays because weekdays are allotted for medical, burial, transportation assistance.
The educational assistance under AICS is a regular program of DSWD and was only hyped now because it always had limited funding.
For this year’s educational program, the regional office has a total fund of P91 million.
Qualified beneficiary enrolled in elementary grades receive P1,000; P2,000 for secondary; P3,000 for Senior High School; and P4,000, college/vocational course.
The assistance, limited to three children per family, is for students in crisis situations enrolled this school year. They could be:
* their family’s breadwinners
* working students
* children of unemployed parents, solo parents, overseas Filipino workers in distress or those with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV);
* orphaned, abandoned or staying with their relative
* abused or displaced children
* victims of human-induced or natural calamities
DSWD set the distribution on the following dates: Aug. 20 and 27 and Sept. 3, 10, 17 and 24./PN
