LEGAZPI CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Bicol (DSWD-5) announced on Wednesday the temporary suspension of acceptance of walk-ins and email applications for educational assistance.
In an advisory, the agency said the application for Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) will be suspended to give way for a review of all the applications.
"Sa kasalukuyan ay mayroong 125,195 requests na natanggap ang DSWD Field Office V. Magsasagawa ang ahensya ng cleanlisting upang masiguro na walang duplikasyon ng mga requests (As of today, 125,195 requires were already received by DSWD Field Office V. We will conduct "clean listing" to ensure that there is no duplication of requests)," the advisory read.
The DSWD advised those who already submitted applications "to wait for the announcement that will be posted on the DSWD Facebook page".
Marygizelle Mesa, DSWD-5 information officer, in a message on Wednesday, said: "We need to process the 125,195 applications per province that will undergo name matching. For the next payout (Aug. 27) we will get from the walk-in and email applications who have already undergone verifications."
Asked when the acceptance of applications would resume, Mesa said, "pag nakadeduplication na po at kaya pa ng fund. (After deduplication and if funds are still available)."
Nearly 3,300 students in the Bicol Region have so far received educational cash assistance under the AICS.
Each pupil in the elementary level received PHP1,000; those in junior high school, PHP2,000; senior high school, PHP3,000; and PHP4,000 for those in college/vocational school.
After Aug. 27, the next payouts will be on Sept. 3, 10, 17 and 24. (PNA)
