Cash aid for 2,500 senior citizens forfeited

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Government saved almost P10 million because close to 2,500 senior citizens failed to get their P4,000 additional cash assistance from the City last December, said Office of Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) head Rolando Llaguno.

Acting City Treasurer Emma Villarete said there is a policy that the cash assistance for the senior citizens will be forfeited if the concerned beneficiaries will not claim these after the lapse of one month from the date of distribution.

The distribution of the last phase of the cash assistance for senior citizens at P4,000 each was conducted last December 8.

"Naa ta'y policy nga kon lapas na gani sa tagal ma-forfeit na ug ang kwarta mobalik na sa atong panudlanan sa City Hall," Villarete said. (We have a policy to revert the money to the city's coffer.)

Councilor Rodrigo "Bebot" Abellanosa, chairman of the City Council's Committee on Social Services, said it is the mayor's executive prerogative if he decides not to give leeway to the senior citizens.

"For me, the senior citizens should be allowed to collect their financial assistance within the calendar year," Abellanosa said.

There were over 54,000 elderly persons in Cebu City who were supposed to receive P4,000 cash assistance each. City Hall had distributed the first P3,000 to this number in June last year.

The OSCA head cannot give a reason why the 2,500 senior citizens failed to get their cash assistance, aside from the few who already died before the date of the distribution.

In Barangay Apas, there were 83 senior citizens who did not collect their cash assistance, 93 in Basak-San Nicolas, 58 in Basak-Pardo, 47 in Banilad, 19 in Bacayan, 13 in Adlaon, one each in Agsungot and Babag, 24 in Barangay Luz, 23 in Busay, five in Buot, 47 in Calamba, eight in Cambinocot, 61 in Capitol Site, 12 in Caretta, 81 in Lahug, 74 in Bulacao and many more in other barangays.

Meanwhile, Llaguno said they have already gathered over 20,000 signatures of the 54,000 senior citizens in Cebu City who are asking the City Council to reconsider their stand that the distribution of the cash assistance for the elderly will be done only in June and December.

Some members of the City Council believe that Mayor Michael Rama may take advantage of the distribution of cash assistance to boost his reelection bid if it will be conducted before the May 13 elections./JPM (FREEMAN)