President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has directed the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to seek the assistance of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to ensure the orderly distribution of financial aid to students days before the reopening of schools on August 22.
DSWD Secretary Erwin Tulfo said this after thousands of Filipinos flocked outside the agency's head office in Quezon City for the first day of the distribution of educational assistance for students on August 20.
In a press briefing, Tulfo said Marcos called him on Saturday morning after catching wind of the situation outside the DSWD head office.
"He (President Marcos) asked me why. 'Dumami ba? Bakit nagkaganito?' ('Do we have more beneficiaries now? How did it come to this?')," he said.
The President also wondered why the problem of people flocking and overcrowding the DSWD central office in the previous years. Tulfo explained that in the past two years, students were attending classes online, and there were few beneficiaries pre-pandemic.
He added that he eased the requirements by no longer requiring a certificate of indigence from barangays and by opening the program to all families in crisis, including parents who are cigarette vendors and ride-sharing drivers, among others.
In response, Marcos asked Tulfo if he wanted to seek the assistance of the DILG.
"Bantayan, tutukan. Mas maganda kung tulungan ka ng DILG (Work on this. It's better if the DILG helps you)," Tulfo said, quoting the President.
The DSWD is distributing P1,000 to elementary students, P2,000 to high school students, P3,000 to senior high school students, and P4,000 to college and vocational students from families in crisis. Up to three children per family can benefit from the cash aid that will be handed out for six Saturdays starting until September 24.
During the briefing, Tulfo said that after speaking with President Marcos, he had talked to DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos and is now working on inking a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the agency to get their assistance in the distribution of cash aid.