Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Erwin Tulfo said the department needs up to P300 million for the revival of its education aid program
In a Super Radyo dzBB interview, Tulfo said that the P1.5-billion budget for the program was not enough, considering that the number of students who registered in their system reached two million. He said some of them also registered twice or thrice, GMA News reported.
The proposed P200 to P300 million additional funding for the cash assistance program could be distributed per district, and the registration could then be done in every region, the official said.
“We will look for funds because what we have allocated is nearly exhausted. We will look for savings under the AICS. If we find something, then we may provide educational assistance again for those who have not been given yet,” Tulfo, quoted in the report, said.
DSWD Undersecretary Jerico Javier said that as of 6 p.m. of September 24, the overall amount disbursed under the cash assistance program was at P1,631,350,000, GMA News further reported.
The official pointed that this amount resulted in a 108 percent utilization of the original P1.5-billion budget for the initiative. Javier said that the excess P131 million was obtained from DSWD’s regular funds under the AICS program.
Since August 20 the program catered to a total of 676,922 beneficiaries. The DSWD initially targeted to serve only about 400,000 students all over the country.
Under the program, up to three students per indigent family could receive P1,000 for elementary students, P2,000 for high school students, P3,000 for senior high school students, and P4,000 for college students or vocational courses.
