Mindanaotoday.com | DSWD-10 to unqualified students’ aid beneficiaries: ‘give chance to those who are in need’
By: Franck Dick Rosete
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development-10 (DSWD-10) urged students and parents who are not qualified as beneficiaries to the agency’s students’ financial assistance program to give chance to those people who are in need.
Roshiel Galia, DSWD-10 information officer, made the remarks following the earlier announcement of DSWD Secretary Erwin Tulfo as to the agency’s upcoming distribution of financial assistance to students under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program that will start on Saturday, August 20 and will last until September 24 this year.
“Hopefully, we would be honest. For those well-off [students and parents], let us be thankful for the blessings we have, appreciate the [things] that we have and give chance to those who are in need,” Galia said in a phone interview on Thursday, August 18.
Tulfo earlier said in a press briefing in Malacañang on Thursday, August 18 that DSWD is no longer requiring the “Letter of Indigency” as a requirement for the said assistance as he wanted to break the long waiting hours and hasten the assistance’s distribution.
Under the said financial assistance, the qualified recipients are the students who are breadwinners; those working students; no parents or have been abandoned and currently living to the relatives; students of a solo parent; students with jobless parents; students from OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) parents, students with HIV positive parent(s); students victimized by abuse; and, students who got affected by the disaster.
After Tulfo’s announcement, the information pertaining to the said cash aid has circulated in the social media, where some questions were raised by the residents here, especially those 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program) beneficiaries and scholars from the local government.
Galia explained that students from families that are 4Ps beneficiaries, under the law, are not prohibited to apply for the said upcoming financial help for students.
However, they have been encouraged to set aside this assistance as they have their own educational grants under the 4Ps program.
On the other hand, scholars from the city, municipal and provincial government are also welcome to apply as DSWD acknowledged their struggles to other expenses since scholarship grants from local government units (LGUs) only covers the tuition fees.
In this financial help from the government, elementary students who would qualify will receive P1,000; P2,000 for junior high school students; P3,000 for senior high school; and, P4,000 for vocational and college students.
The assistance’s distribution day is every Saturday. All DSWD offices nationwide will start on August 20 and all applicants must prepare the necessary requirements, such as a letter of registration or certificate of enrollment and school ID for vocational and college students.
For those who still have not received their school IDs, Galia said they can provide a barangay certification with a picture that would compensate for the valid ID.
For parents and guardians who would want to submit an application for their elementary and high school students, they must also prepare their valid ID, on top of the letter of registration or certificate of enrollment and school ID of their children.
Galia said they already came up with a strategy in order to ensure a peaceful assistance distribution and the strict enforcement of health protocols against Covid-19.
The DSWD-10 has tasked to cater 2,000 applicants in the entire Northern Mindanao region per Saturday.
The nine satellite offices are situated in Tubod in Lanao del Norte; Iligan City; Malaybalay City, Maramag and Valencia City in Bukidnon; Gingoog City in Misamis Oriental; Camiguin; Ozamiz City and Oroquieta City in Misamis Occidental.
Galia assured the applicants that they will cater more than the target per Saturday for as long as they have extra time.
The regional information officer urged students and parents who would receive the assistance to use the financial aid that would help the students’ needs.
“Hopefully, this [assistance] provided by the DSWD would be used for the proper so that we would be able to help the students’ goal which is to finish their studies,” Galia said.
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