DSWD has closed online application for educational aid as 2M students sign up —Sec. Tulfo

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has closed the online application for its educational assistance program for indigent students due to the high volume of applications against limited available funds.

“Closed na itong [application ng] educational assistance,” DSWD Secretary Erwin Tulfo said in an interview on Dobol B TV on Saturday.

Tulfo said that over two million have registered online for the educational assistance program.

“Kaya 'di na namin makakaya o kakayanin pa dagdagan ‘yung two million,” the DSWD chief said.

(That is why we can no longer be able to accommodate beyond the two million [registrants].)

“Ang tinitignan natin ay ‘yung pondo natin P1.5 billion,” he said.

(We are monitoring [the payout] from our fund [for the program] worth P1.5 billion.)

So far, Tulfo said, the DSWD has distributed around P600 million to P800 million worth of educational assistance.

Of the 400,000 target recipients, more than 293,000, mostly college and vocational students, have already received the cash assistance. 

The last payout will be on September 24 or two “Saturdays from now,” covering the over two million students who have registered online, according to the Social Welfare chief.

Under the program, up to three students per indigent family can receive a cash aid worth P1,000 for elementary students, P2,000 for high school students, P3,000 for senior high school students, and P4,000 for tertiary students.

Nonetheless, Tulfo said that those who were not able to register online will be accommodated by district lawmakers through a partnership between the DSWD and the House of Representatives leadership.

“Next week mag-uusap kami ng Kongreso, liderato ni Speaker [Martin] Romualdez, para pick up-in ang kulang ng ating butihing mambabatas per district na po… Hati po kami sa pondo para ma-serve po namin — ang mga hindi naka-online. Mag-uusap ang DSWD at Kongreso para mabigyan din po kayo,” Tulfo said.

(Next week we will talk with Congress under the leadership of Speaker Martin Romualdez so our lawmakers can pick up the fund deficiency per district. We will jointly fund the [educational assistance] for those who were not able to apply online. The DSWD and Congress will discuss ways to give this educational assistance.)

The DSWD chief said the House leadership and the agency are coming up with the mechanics on how to accommodate those who were not able to register online.

Tulfo also said they are looking at the possibility of pushing for legislation that would institutionalize the educational assistance so that indigent learners would get annual subsidies. —with Sherylin Untalan/KG/VBL, GMA News