Seniors get P3T today

CEBU, Philippines - Two days before Christmas, around 60,000 registered senior citizens in Cebu City will receive their P3,000 cash assistance today.

Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs Chief Rolando Llaguno is asking the elderly to proceed to the nearest distribution center in their respective barangays and claim their cash as soon as possible, as the amount would be ready for release as early as 8 a.m.

“Atong panawagan sa tanang mga senior citizens sa Siyudad sa Sugbo nga moadto sa tagsa-tagsa ka mga distribution centers aron pagdawat sa ilang financial assistance,” he said.

Based on the city government’s guideline, the seniors should claim their cash within 15 days from the day of the scheduled distribution; otherwise, the financial assistance would be forfeited in favor of the city.

“That remains to be resolved later pero at the moment wala pa koy say ana,” Llaguno said when asked if there would be those who could not claim their cash within 15 days who would ask for reconsideration.

Including today’s distribution, the senior citizens have already received a total of P10,000 each out of the P12,000 cash, which is higher than last year’s P10,000, that City Hall promised to give to them this year.

Llaguno said that the remaining P2,000 might be released early next year.

He assured that the city government has already earmarked the remaining amount for it to be surely used next year.

Earlier, City Treasurer Diwa Cuevas said the senior citizens might not receive the entire amount within this month considering that the year is almost at an end.

She promised, though, that the senior citizens should not worry because the city will not renege on its promise to give the P2,000 balance.

“Ayaw lang gyud na ninyo problemaha kay last year bitaw 2014 na baya nato nahatag tanan (cash assistance for 2013),” she said.

City Hall also failed to give the remaining P2,000 cash aid for senior citizens in 2014, doing so only February this year. — Mechelle P. Florita/RHM (FREEMAN)