Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Erwin Tulfo has apologized for the chaos that marked the first day of the agency’s distribution of cash aid for indigent students that saw huge crowds flocking to avail of the “ayuda.”
A stampede was reported in Zamboanga, resulting in injuries, while in Bacolod City, the huge crowd that rushed a mall’s entrance ended up damaging the mall’s automatic door.
It seemed like despite the pandemic, the DSWD still hasn’t learned how to safely and efficiently distribute cash aid. And with COVID mobility restrictions almost completely lifted, the mad scramble for yet another form of aid, this time for school expenses, was still a master class in chaos.
If we look at the bright side, at least no one died in the crush of crowds that rushed to avail of the DSWD program that gave out P1,000 each for elementary students, P2,000 for high school students, P3,000 for those in senior high and P4,000 for those in college or taking vocational courses. The DSWD on Friday announced that a total of P500 million will be given in cash assistance to indigent students. It may sound like a big amount, but for a nation of 110 million mostly poor people, it is a relatively small amount that shouldn’t have caused chaos and near stampedes.
Government officials must have already experienced how poor Filipinos are willing to risk COVID and stampedes just to get in line for ayuda or any form of assistance. Promising cash aid without clearly communicating the requirements and limitations is always a recipe for disaster. How a safe, efficient and systematic way of distributing such aid have not yet been established by government agencies responsible, at this day and age, is an ongoing mystery.
New but well-meaning government officials often undergo a baptism of fire that reminds them of the complexity of the jobs they agreed to undertake. In the case of newly appointed DSWD Secretary Tulfo, the chaos of this weekend’s cash aid distribution should serve as a sobering reminder of the importance of proper communication and preparations, especially for programs that at first blush seem simple but are national in scale.*
