Tulfo won't order dispersal of crowd waiting for educational aid at DSWD
Social Welfare and Development Secretary Erwin Tulfo said he will not order the dispersal of a crowd waiting for education assistance at the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) main office in Quezon City with classes set to open on Monday.
But he apologized to thousands who are waiting to receive educational assistance from the DSWD P500 million program. ''I apologize if you are not able to get financial assistance,'' said Tulfo in an online press conference Saturday.
"I don't want to do that ( dispersal). These are poor people. They have been waiting in their line since last night because they are in crisis. I don't want to shoo them away, to disperse them. What I am saying is I am asking for their understanding and as we speak we have personnel who keep on telling them to go to Barangay Batasan Hills and Barangay Payatas where we also have our payout," he said.
News reports said the crowd braved an early afternoon downpour to wait for the DSWD financial aid. Reports, quoting Tulfo, said 5,000 people lined up to get aid at its main office. People jostled to get ahead and one even climbed the wall of the DSWD main office, radio reports said.
In Zamboanga City, there were 29 persons injured as they were trying to avail of education assistance, police said. No one was reported in critical condition, police added.
Tulfo said beneficiaries can only blame themselves if they were not able to get their cash aid until the DSWD main office closes at 5pm.
"What we are going to do? We will close it. We will no longer accept people anymore by 5 pm if they are still there, they cannot blame anyone but themselves because they don't want to go to Barangy Batasan Hills and Barangay Payatas," he said
He added that people who are waiting in Batasan don't want to leave the area because they really want to get the cash assistance today which cannot be done because of too many beneficiaries showed up.
Tulfo confirmed that he talked to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Tulfo added that theed chief executive understood the situation.
"He called me around 10 am because he received a report about the long lines so I explained to him that, sir the only problem is here in the central office but in the regions we already contained the situation," said Tulfo.
"He (Marcos) said why has the number of beneficiaries increased? and I said because I opened it to jeepney drivers, cigarette vendors, tricycle driver, they can apply provided that only up to three children and if they are in crisis and then the President understood and he said to monitor the situation and he suggested if I need to ask for the help of the DILG, and I said yes, he said it is much better if the DILG will help," he added.
Tulfo said the DSWD and DILG will sign a memorandum of agreement on Monday as part of the government's effort to improve the distribution of cash assistance for indigent students. DMS
