A huge crowd flocked to the Ayala Malls Capitol Central in Bacolod City to avail of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) cash assistance to indigent students on Saturday,, August 20.
Secretary Erwin Tulfo has apologized for the chaos that marred the first day of the agency’s distribution of cash aid for indigent students in various parts of the country, including Bacolod City.
Those seeking cash assistance, who formed a long line outside the Ayala Malls Capitol Central and rushed into the building when it opened, were from Bacolod City and Negros Occidental.
There were 587 clients in the province who received P2,203,000 on Saturday, May Rago-Castillo, regional public information officer of the DSWD in Western Visayas, said Sunday.
“DSWD may have the best intention in helping the students financially but poor implementation led to chaos. Proper coordination and planning at the local level should be made,” Bacolod Rep. Greg Gasataya said.
Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said the recipients were asking why they had to come to Bacolod for the payouts.
If it cannot be conducted in the towns and cities, at the very least it should be done by district, he said.
“Let this be an experience for future planning,” he said.
Conducting the pay-outs at the local government level is an alternative mentioned by the secretary, Rago-Castillo said.
In fact satellite payout sites had been planned earlier, she said.*