Around 100 children with physical disabilities from this capital town of Antique received PHP10,000 financial aid under the Children’s Health, Education, and Resources for Inclusion, Support and Hope (CHERISH) project of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Friday.

The amount is the first of the two-tranche financial support the recipients will receive for the School Year 2025-2026, said DSWD Regional Director Arwin Razo, who led the distribution of assistance. The second tranche will be released in September.

“The beneficiaries are all in-school learners who have physical disability and need financial aid,” he said in an interview.

The recipients can use the amount for their education, speech therapy, assistive devices and other needs.

CHERISH is a community-based intervention implemented with the Persons with Disabilities Affairs Office (PDAO) of San Jose de Buenavista, headed by Amie Dava, to improve the social functioning of children with disabilities.

DSWD signed a memorandum of agreement with the local government of San Jose de Buenavista as the pilot site for the project in 2024.

Ryan Aron, a parent of a four-year-old kid, one of the beneficiaries, said the assistance will be used for the therapy session of their son.

“I make it a point to be absent from my work every time he has his therapy session in Iloilo City, so the financial assistance will be of a big help to us,” he said.

He said they are grateful to be included in the project because his wife quit her job to attend to their son. (PNA)