MANILA — While the social welfare department saw an improvement in the distribution of educational assistance on its second week, prospective beneficiaries in some areas, especially in the provinces, still endured long lines and even went home empty-handed.

However, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Sunday described these as isolated incidents they were able to manage.

DSWD spokesperson assistant Sec. Romel Lopez said local governments and police helped social workers maintain order in the distribution sites.

“We can say it was successful, we wanna keep it that way, although there is a lot of room for improvements, gagawin po namin ito. Just the same, hinihingi lang po namin ‘yong kooperasyon ng bawat nating kababayan,” Lopez said at the “Balitaan sa Maynila” forum.

• Educational aid distribution improves in 2nd week: DSWD, DILG

DISTRIBUTION CANCELED

In Boac, Marinduque, distribution of the cash aid was halted at 8 am on Saturday morning, even as it already began in other areas.

Police Lt. Col. Cristina Alcampado, the local deputy chief of police for administration, said around 2,000 people lined up outside the Marinduque Convention Center—many the night before.

Police advised them that registration would begin that morning, but few left.

People had already waited outside the Boac payout center the night before, police said. A cop advised those there that listing would begin in the morning. Most stayed.

The 2,000 who came exceeded the expected 1,500 beneficiaries, police said.

📹:Boac PNP pic.twitter.com/rsV5pNGOZ0

— Anjo Bagaoisan (@anjo_bagaoisan) August 28, 2022

According to Lopez, people were allowed inside the convention center to take shelter from the rain that fell early in the morning, but many refused to go back in line afterward.

“Eventually, some of the would-be beneficiaries became agitated, medyo nagiging bayolente na po and uminit na sitwasyon, so the LGU, the PNP, and of course the DSWD decided to cancel na lang po the pay outs kasi hindi na rin po magiging maganda,” Lopez said.

The DSWD added, the number who lined up went beyond their target 1,500 beneficiaries that day.

• Ilang nais makakuha ng educational aid walang internet, cellphone pang-register

Alcampado said the local social welfare department let barangays carry out the halted distribution locally.

Meanwhile, Lopez said authorities had managed to “pacify” people who converged at the distribution site in Odiongan, Romblon, which resulted in shoving, chaos, and some passing out.

In some areas like Borongan City, Eastern Samar, distribution ended at 3 in the morning.

• Pamimigay ng educational assistance sa Borongan City, inabot ng madaling araw

The DSWD reported 69,697 people got their cash aid totaling P175,623,000 on Saturday.

OFFSITE PAYOUTS BEING STUDIED

In total, the agency already distributed over P363 million in educational assistance to 143,263 beneficiaries in the past week.

However, the amount given out is still less than a quarter of the P1.5 billion budget for the aid, which the DSWD said will benefit a maximum of 400,000 students.

• Around 400,000 students to benefit from DSWD educational cash aid

To address concerns of walk-ins and potential beneficiaries who have no gadgets or internet access, the DSWD said it has begun studying making the payouts offsite or given directly to beneficiaries.

It plans to release guidelines in the coming days for how applicants can avail of the aid, which could be carried out at the village level.

“Ang isa pa po naming nakikita ‘yong talagang tutulungan kami ng LGU down to the barangay, i-identify po itong mga kababayan natin na ito at ilista at kunan ng enrolment din and then siguro, through the barangay inform din sila,” he said.

Lopez added they are leaving it to local DSWDs in geographically isolated areas such as islands to form their own solutions to distributing the aid.

However, Lopez reiterated DSWD Sec. Erwin Tulfo’s position against tapping teachers to distribute the aid, saying it would add another burden to teachers and even risk their security.

• Teachers hit Erwin Tulfo's favoritism remark; Sara Duterte willing to work with DSWD

—With a report from Robert Mano, ABS-CBN News

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