BAGUIO CITY – More than 4,800 students have so far received educational assistance in Cordillera in time for the start of the school year this month, according to the region's Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
DSWD-Cordillera records show that 4,837 students have so far been given aid: 951 beneficiaries in Abra; 486 in Apayao; 756 in Benguet; 703 in Ifugao; 501 in Kalinga; 377 in Mountain Province; and 1,063 in Baguio City.
The one-time educational financial assistance was worth PHP1,000 for each elementary student, PHP2,000 for each junior high school student; PHP3,000 for each senior high school student, and PHP4,000 for each college or vocational student.
During the last two Saturdays, the DSWD released PHP14.19 million in cash assistance to Cordillera students under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis (AICS) program.
On August 20, the initial payout in the region was PHP4.45 million for over a thousand beneficiaries. On August 27, another batch of 3,517 students received assistance.
The DSWD student cash assistance program will be until September 24.
Beneficiaries
“ I don’t have a mother and a father who supports my education, my siblings are sending me to school. This assistance will go a long way which I will use to pay for my boarding house and also for allowance,” Luisa Mahingyan, a beneficiary from Aguinaldo town in Ifugao, said in Ilocano.
Meanwhile, in Tuba, Benguet, Jovert Antimano, who claimed the assistance on behalf of his two children, said: “This will help us a lot for the needs of the children. We hope that this kind of program of the government will continue.”
Eden Diwag, a person with a disability from Tuba with two children, also thanked the government for the financial aid.
La Union-native Michelle Estocapio, a student at the Benguet State University, said she would use the money for her allowance, school supplies, and boarding.
DSWD-CAR regional head Leo Quintilla said on Tuesday the payout last August 27 was orderly as recipients got their schedule via text message.
“Hindi naman tayo naka encounter ng maraming problema noong unang payout (There are not many problems even during the first payout) and in the second schedule because our residents followed the procedure,” he said. (PNA)
