Davao City targets 22K children for educational aid program

As part of its continuing response to coronavirus pandemic, the Davao City government has launched an educational assistance program for 22,000 target beneficiaries whose parents have lost income since the shutting down of business industries and movement restrictions.

Mayor Inday Sara Duterte announced the launch of “Eskwela Davao” – an educational assistance program for children whose families lost their sources of income during the coronavirus pandemic.

The city government has set aside P50 million for Eskwela Davao for around 10,000 elementary pupils at P1,500 each; 6,000 high school pupils at P3,000 each; and, 6,000 senior high students at P3,000 each.

Norman Baloro, the Head of Eskwela Davao Program, said the target beneficiaries are those entering grade school, elementary, high school, and senior high school in both public and private schools.

Baloro said the program allows only one student for each family who avails of the educational assistance either in-cash or in-kind.

Interested applicants will be assessed through these qualifications: (1) must be a resident of Davao City, (2) must be a bonafide elementary, high school, or senior high school student from any public or private schools in the city, (3) has not availed any educational assistance or scholarship offered by the government, (4) has not enjoyed any projects, assistance, or program provided by the government during the Covid-19, (5) willing to enroll in the upcoming school year 2020-2021, and (6) whose family’s income or earning has been affected by Covid-19 pandemic.

Given this, Baloro also called-on on parents who already applied and qualified for the Work for Davao program to allow other affected families to avail of the Eskwela Davao program.

“If you opt to avail the Work for Davao, then waive Eskwela Davao. Pero kung gusto gyud ka nga imong anak maka-avail ug makapanukad ka sa iyang pag-eskwela, then that’s the time nga dili na pud ka mag-avail sa Work for Davao (If you want your child to avail and support their studies, then you may not avail Work for Davao),” Baloro said.

Eskwela Davao is just one of two newly-launched program to assist Dabawenyos affected during the coronavirus pandemic. The other program is “Work for Davao” which is a cash-for-work program for affected individual workers or income earners. CIO