Party, not cash for oldies yesterday

CEBU, Philippines - Senior citizens were treated to a Christmas party but got no money from the Cebu City Government yesterday.

City Hall hosted the “Pasko Pasalamat ni Lolo ug ni Lola” at the Cebu Coliseum, inviting 14 each from 116 senior citizen organization chapters instead of the estimated 60,000 y who qualified to receive cash assistance from the City.

While they did not receive the promised P4,000 during the party, the senior citizens got Mayor Michael Rama’s assurance that they all would get P2,000, or half of the amount, this Saturday.

Rama pledged the amount in a speech during the party.

Rolando Llaguno, Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs head, said he saw nothing wrong that the City is giving only half of the P4,000, which is the final tranche of the P10,000 cash assistance for each senior citizen of the city this year.

“Ang atong tan-awn ang sitwasyon karon (Let us examine the current situation)... We have to be content with what we will receive,” he said.

Llaguno said everyone should understand that the senior citizens are not the only one that the City should worry about.

Delsa Barrita, one of the beneficiaries, did not also mind the delay.

“Okay raman nako basta kay ma-release ra man next year. Wa nay problema,” she said. —(FREEMAN)