By: Aishah Jimenez
The state of Filipino youth after two years of devastating financial woes. Photo from Eloisa Lopez, REUTERS.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), as per its secretary, Erwin Tulfo, will start to distribute a one-time cash assistance to aid indigent Filipino students before the approaching academic year 2022-2023.
The said aid will be provided as part of the DSWD's Assistance for Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program, which is expected to unfold on Saturday, August 20, and will continue every Saturday until September 24.
"This program aims to help our indigent students all over the country, which means children coming from poor families will be given cash assistance to buy their school supplies or whatever they need in school like school supplies, school fees, uniform, shoes," Sec. Tulfo remarked in a public statement.
In addition, he stated that all students from indigent families are eligible to receive the assistance. These include children from poor families, solo parents, PWDs, sick parents, orphans, children of tricycle and jeepney drivers, laundry women, house helpers, and other laborers.
However, the qualification for the said financial assistance program is limited to only three children from each family.
Even so, the stipend will be P1,000 for elementary learners, P2,000 for junior high school students, P3,000 for senior high school students, and P4,000 for college students or those enrolled in vocational courses.
Students or their parents are required to provide a valid school ID or a certificate of employment to receive the assistance.
Parents of elementary- and high schoolers are not required to accompany their kids to DSWD offices. Meanwhile, senior high school students, college students, and those taking vocational courses can visit DSWD offices by themselves.
Upon claiming, beneficiaries may set an appointment schedule by sending an email to DSWD or choose the walk-in process.
Tulfo said the program would receive a P500 million fund. Thus, he is now ordering all DSWD offices to open every Saturday and Sunday until September 24 to cater to the needs of Filipino students.