CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development Northern Mindanao (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 who are in need.
DSWD-10 Information Officer Roshiel Galia made the remarks after DSWD Secretary Erwin Tulfo’s announcement on the agency’s distribution of financial assistance to students under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program that will start on Saturday, Aug. 20 and will last until Sept. 24 this year.
“For those well-off , let us be thankful for the blessings we have, appreciate the we have and give chance to those who are in need,” said Galia in a phone interview on Thursday, Aug. 18.
Tulfo said in a press briefing in Malacañang also on Thursday, Aug. 18, that DSWD is no longer requiring the ‘Letter of Indigency’ 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 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 the 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 Aug. 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 is tasked to cater 2,000 applicants in the entire Northern Mindanao region per Saturday. This is equivalent to 200 applicants per Saturday per office as the DSWD-10 has nine satellite offices apart from the regional office.
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 wisely.