Distribution of P2T aid for senior citizens set

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City government will distribute the remaining P2,000 aid for the senior citizens this Wednesday, according to Mayor Michael Rama.

Of the total P12,000 financial aid intended for the seniors for last year, the city government has yet released P10,000.

Rama said department heads of Cebu City Hall will facilitate the distribution of cash aid in every barangay.

City administrator Lucelle Mercado said the distribution on Wednesday will start at 8 a.m. until 12 p.m. in every barangay. The distribution on Thursday will be made the entire day at Plaza Sugbo.

The remaining schedules for the distribution will be held at the City Treasurer’s Office.

Based on the guidelines for seniors’ cash aid distribution, they are given 15 days to claim the aid.

Former Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs head Rolando Llaguno earlier said the budget for the cash aid was earmarked few weeks ago for it to be surely released this year considering that the book of account of the city government would be closed as the year ends.

But Rama emphasized that as long as people are paying their taxes, there is no reason for the city government not to release the amount.

“For as long as people will continue paying taxes, there will be no such thing as liability that’s not being paid. It may not be too soon but it will going to be definitely paid,” he Rama said earlier.

Rama also assured that those seniors whose cash aid had been forfeited during the earlier distributions could claim it on Wednesday.

The city government forfeited around P5.3 million cash aid of the senior citizens for the distribution last month due to the failure of the beneficiaries to claim the amount.

Based on the record of the Cash and Disbursement Division of the CTO, senior citizens from the south district did not claim over P2.8 million in aid while in the north district, the unclaimed aid amounted to P2.5 million.

Because of this, almost 2,000 seniors were not able to claim their P3,000 cash aid that month.

Based on reports, distribution last month only happened within seven days instead of 15 days due to the lack of time.

City treasurer Diwa Cuevas defended earlier that 15 days is only applicable when the year is not ending.

  “Kanang 15 days is only applicable kung dili ta mag-closing (sa books of accounts). Kon pananglit mag 15 days luoy kaayo ang disbursing officers. Atong giprotektahan atong mga disbursing officers nga maka-liquidate gyud,” Cuevas said.  (FREEMAN)