CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Many came but only a few were chosen.
This seemed to be the case on the first payout day of the educational assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Saturday, Aug. 20, in this this city where the DSWD regional head office is located.
Between 3000 and 5000 parents and students went to the DSWD head office, expecting to avail of the cash distribution under the government agency’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program.
Many of them patiently waited for more than 12 hours only to go home frustrated and empty-handed.
“Ang ilang gi-post (they posted) two-way registration; through online ug (and) walk-in. Ang (For) walk-in, wala man sila nag-entertain (they have not entertained). Ang katong mga nakasulod (those who were able to get inside), through online to sila nag-register (they registered through online),” one of the mothers told Manila Bulletin.
“Dili sila muingon nga dili nila entertenon, mupasabot sila sa mga naa diri kay gihagoan nato’g anhi diri (they should not said that they will not entertain the people here, they should clarify since we also took effort to come here),” said Manily Elomba, one of the parents who had waited outside the DSWD-10 office since Friday night.
DSWD-10 Information Officer Roshiel Galia, in an interview, acknowledged the frustrations from the applicants. However, she clarified that they did not prioritize the online registrants.
Galia explained that DSWD-10 has targeted to cater 400 applicants just for the regional head office in this city for the first day of the payout. This included 300 walk-in applicants and 100 individuals who registered online.
“Gitan-aw gyud namo, bisan unsaon sya pagbali-bali nga pag-overnight ug pagbinuntaga, dili gyud siya kaya. Ug tan-awon pud nato ang availability sa pundo karong adlawa (We really looked at it , even if we try to overnight and until in the morning, we are unable to do it , and we also looked at the availability of funds today),” she added.
Galia said an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 applicants have gone to the regional office of DSWD Northern Mindanao during the first day, based on the estimate from the police authorities who assisted the first payout day.
Apart from Cagayan de Oro residents, many residents from different parts of Misamis Oriental province also went here just for the distribution. Many of them were worried after they had not received the assistance as they didn’t have enough money to pay for their fares back home.
In Misamis Oriental, there is only one DSWD satellite office which is situated in Gingoog City. The other satellite offices are located in Tubod in Lanao del Norte; Iligan City; Malaybalay City, Maramag and Valencia City in Bukidnon; Camiguin; Ozamiz City and Oroquieta City in Misamis Occidental.
Due to the disorderly distribution, DSWD secretary Erwin Tulfo told Manila reporters also on Saturday, Aug. 20, that they have calibrated the procedures to resolve the issue and cater all the applicants.
He looked into the possible involvement of every municipality in the distribution that will last until September 24 this year, with the supervision of DSWD personnel.
Under the payout program, every elementary student 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 qualified recipients are the students who are also 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.