SEVERAL students and their parents or guardians swarmed the offices of the Department of Social and Welfare Development on Saturday morning as the agency started giving financial assistance for indigent learners.

Some of them were in line as early as Friday afternoon at the DSWD Central Office in Batasan Complex, Quezon City. Around 4,000 beneficiaries and their parents were outside the DSWD Central Office.

However, 2,000 beneficiaries were only accommodated.

Tension rose after those who were not accommodated barged their way inside Central Office, with some climbing over the fence and others pushing security guards manning the gate.

DSWD Secretary Erwin Tulfo went outside and appealed to the crowd to calm down

“Humihingi po ako ng paumanhin. Hindi po natin kakayanin lahat kayo. Ang kakayanin namin hanggang mamayang gabi lang,” Tulfo said while addressing the crowd.

He also said beneficiaries can get an appointment via QR code, and they will then contact them for their schedule of claiming their educational assistance.

Long lines were also formed outside regional and provincial offices of the DSWD.

The DSWD earlier announced up to three students per indigent family can receive cash aid worth P1,000 for elementary students, P2,000 for high school, P3,000 for senior high school, and P4,000 for a tertiary student enrolled in a college or technical-vocational school.

The educational assistance will be available in the DSWD central, regional, provincial, and other local offices starting every Saturday until September 24.

In an interview with reporters, Tulfo also said the DSWD has targeted that processing for each beneficiary’s application will be for two minutes only to make sure the lines will move fast.

He admitted the agency’s website could not handle all the traffic coming from the beneficiary applicants but said their information technology department is already working on it.

To address the issue on distribution, Tulfo mentioned they would coordinate with municipalities to give the financial aid in their offices.