MANILA – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is eyeing a more orderly distribution of educational assistance by asking beneficiaries to register online first.

Several DSWD offices over the weekend saw throngs gathered in their premises in the hopes of receiving student aid.

• Students, parents endure queue to get educational aid at DSWD's QC office
• DSWD chief Tulfo nag-sorry dahil sa gulo sa pila sa educational aid

“Ang focus talaga namin ngayon, ang concentration ay yung pamamahagi po nang maayos sa mga bayan-bayan at lungsod sa mga darating na 5 Sabado para maging maayos po at smooth po as much as possible ang pamamahagi po ng educational assistance through online registration,” DSWD Secretary Erwin Tulfo told ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo on Tuesday.

(Our focus, our concentration today is on the orderly distribution of educational assistance in the different cities and municipalities in the 5 coming Saturdays through online registration to make it as smooth as possible.)

He said the DWSD would attend to walk-in applicants or those who cannot sign up online after it has given financial aid to those who registered online.

“Through online registration para hindi po magkagulo ngayon, 'pag natapos na natin itong mga online, at kung kokonti na lang, e saka ho natin i-accommodate po yung mga walk-in po. Pero for now we advise po na online ho muna para maayos po ang lahat,” he said.

(Let's do online registration first so distribution is smooth. Then when this is over, we can accommodate walk-ins. But for now we advise online registration.)

Tulfo also said he believes most Filipinos now have access to a computer, laptop, or mobile phone that would enable them to sign up for a preferred cash aid distribution date.

“Because of the fact na nakakapag-Facebook po sila at nakakapag-social media so ibig sabihin yung kanila pong cellphone kaya pong mag-register online,” he said.

(Because of the fact that they can use Facebook and other social media, we know their phones can handle an online registration.)

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The agency designates QR codes and email addresses through which beneficiaries could register per region, DSWD spokesperson Rommel Lopez told ABS-CBN News. He said the agency would release new guidelines on this.

After the cash aid distribution, Tulfo said the DSWD would focus on looking for Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries who received educational assistance.

• Tulfo: 4Ps beneficiaries not included in DSWD's student assistance

“With regards to that question po na ibabalik po ng 4Ps tama ho kayo, ikakaltas po yan, slowly po, pero hindi ho isang bagsakan, uutay-utayin po namin yan para hindi naman ho mahirapan yung kababayan natin,” he said.

(With regards to that question, yes, 4Ps beneficiaries who received educational assistance have to return it, but we will deduct it slowly from the monthly amount that they receive so they won't suffer so much.)

— TeleRadyo, 23 August 2022