PWDs get P1T more cash aid from CH

CEBU, Philippines - Each of the over 8,000 Persons with Disabilities in Cebu City will now receive P3,000 cash incentive from the City Hall after the City Council approved yesterday the giving of the additional benefit.

The members of the City Council granted the P1,000 increase in the cash incentive given to the 8,019 PWDs in Cebu City. The resolution sponsored by Councilor Lea Ouano-Japson raised the P2,000 cash incentive to P3,000.

Leonilo Omayan, president of the Cebu City Federation of Persons with Disabilities, welcomed the latest development saying he had asked for it after the mayor increased the cash assistance for the senior citizens.

The record of the Department of Social Welfare and Services shows that there were already 6,233 PWDs given the P2,000 incentive as of July 31. They will be given the P1,000 additional incentive before the year ends.

Virginia Piccio of the DSWS said that aside from the over 6,000 old beneficiaries, 1,786 newly registered PWDs will be added in the list of beneficiaries and will receive the P3,000 cash incentive.

The City Council also approved yesterday the request of Japson for the mayor to include in his next supplemental budget the amount of P5.3 million for the purpose.

Omayan said the number of PWDs in Cebu City continue to increase because people are now aware of the program and that parents of PWDs would already have their children listed to avail of the benefits.

Meanwhile, PWDs are complaining because until now there are still barangays in Cebu City that did not allocate a budget for the activities of the differently-abled persons.

The mayor earlier tasked the City Budget Office to be alert in the conduct of the review of the budgets of the barangays to ensure that the provisions of the law are being complied with.

— (FREEMAN)