Approval of ordinance for elders eyed

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Council committee on laws is seeking for the approval of a proposed ordinance that will give commendation and cash rewards to the city’s senior citizens who are at least 100 years old.

City Councilor Gerardo Carillo, vice chairman of the council committee on laws, lauded the proposed ordinance authored by Councilor Edgardo Labella, saying that there is no legal obstacle for the council’s eventual approval.

Carillo cited Local Government Code’s Section 458, which stated that there must be “appropriate funds to support programs and projects for the benefit of the elderly.”

Labella’s proposed ordinance will confer the Centenary Senior Citizens Award to qualified senior citizens in every October.

The councilor learned that there are some senior citizens who already reached the age of 100, among them is Natividad Sanchez-Go of Barangay Mabolo who celebrated her 100th birthday last September 8.

  “Considering the frail nature yet the extraordinary blessing of life these aged citizens have, there beckons a need, as a fealty to those whose courage have enriched our very history, to distinguish this special group of Senior Citizens,” Labella said.

 Labella also proposed that those reaching the age of 100 should be given P3,000 cash gift every year. The city has a program giving P4,000 cash assistance to senior citizens every year. 

For this year, the city’s 32,000 senior citizens will receive cash incentive by April after the P128 million budget for such purpose was approved by the council the other day. — Rene U. Borromeo/LPM    (FREEMAN NEWS)