Authorities claimed dozens of people were hurt in a stampede in the southern Philippines on Saturday as pupils and parents sought to obtain monetary handouts before schools reopened.
Crowds began forming outside help distribution centers around the country on Friday, after the government announced cash rewards of up to 4,000 pesos ($72) for families unable to pay for college.
Approximately 5,000 people gathered outside a secondary school in the southern city of Zamboanga, where the relief will be handed.
They hurried forward when they heard the gates would open… the road is steep, so they slipped and fell, police officer Josein Samsula told AFP.
According to Social Welfare Minister Irwin Tuvalu, who announced the cash payouts in recent days, 29 individuals were treated in hospitals for minor injuries. Toflu claimed he had to call in riot police on Saturday to keep people from storming the front entrance of his Manila business building in search of monetary help. He called them people in difficulty and expressed regret that the aid initiative had resulted in deaths.
Because to COVID-19, the financial position of millions of Filipino families has deteriorated, and they are now battling to find enough money to send their children back to school.
Many schools are ready to resume regular courses on Monday for the first time since March 2020.
The Philippines is one of the world’s last countries to continue education with a physical presence.
Experts have cautioned that the country’s education issue has been aggravated by the protracted shutdown of schools, which will affect pupils in the long term.
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