Seniors getting cash aid Monday

CEBU, Philippines - Over 50,000 senior citizens in Cebu City will receive P3,000 of their P5,000 annual cash assistance from the Cebu City Government on Monday.

The distribution will be simultaneous in all the city’s 80 barangays.

Jeffrey Ocampo, Executive Assistant II of the Office of the Mayor, who is assigned to oversee the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs, said that they are almost done finalizing the payroll.

About 55,000 senior citizens are expected to receive their cash assistance of P3,000 while the rest of the P5,000 annual cash assistance will be distributed in December.

The city government has appropriated P300 million for the Senior Citizens Financial Assistance Program this year.

Ocampo said that the distribution will be held in the barangay gymnasiums of each barangay.

OSCA conducted a briefing with barangay personnel, OSCA officers of different barangays and all those who will be involved in the distribution.

OSCA prescribed an arrangement of the venue to ensure that senior citizens will be comfortable as possible.

They also got the commitment of the barangay to provide drinking water to the elderly since waiting in the line cannot be avoided.

Ocampo said they have mobilized their people and the Department of Social Welfare and Services to disseminate the information.

Senior citizens are advised to come in the morning. All barangay vehicles will be deployed to pick up senior citizens and bring them to their respective barangay venues.

They also appealed to some politicians to refrain from distributing campaign materials during the activity so it will not be politicized.

Those who will not be able to come and receive their assistance will be given 15 days to claim their assistance at the Cebu City Treasurer’s Office.

Tanods and police personnel will also be deployed to ensure orderliness and prevent any untoward incidents.

Ocampo said that they have recorded a 15-percent increase in the number of beneficiaries this year after the mayor relaxed the qualification requirements. 

All senior citizens who are able to prove that they have been living in Cebu City for five years now are accommodated in the program. In the past, the senior citizens were required to have voted in Cebu City in the 2007 elections.

Ocampo said that they have received applications from transferees, but as per guidelines they were declined since they are not legitimate citizens of Cebu City. — (FREEMAN)