Starting this year: Cebu province to give financial aid to seniors

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu provincial government will start extending financial assistance to the elderly in its component cities and municipalities this year, the Provincial Senior Citizens’ Council announced yesterday.

Board Member Raul “Yayoy” Alcoseba, chairman of the PB Committee on Senior Citizens Affairs, urged citizens aging 60 years and above to register at their local government units for the issuance of a senior citizen identification card in order to avail of the benefits from the province’s program for elderly, including cash assistance that will be given annually.

He stressed that those who turn 60 years old before the month of March ends can still register. The province will be finalizing the list of the senior citizens in the province by the end of March for budgeting.

“Katong wa pa marehistro, adto na sa munisipyo aron maka-avail sa benefits. Pwede ra pod sa atong mga barangay kay maka-issue na man sila og senior citizen cards,” Alcoseba said during the Provincial Information Office-organized Kapistorya forum.

He added that senior citizens who have yet to register would have to present their birth certificates upon application.

The application and any documents attached with will undergo verification process before the senior citizen’s card could be issued.

The province’s program to dole out financial assistance to senior citizens will be implemented through a counter-parting scheme with the municipalities and cities.

The Provincial Senior Citizen Council has initially set aside P5 million for 2015, half of which is intended for persons with disabilities.

Once the list of senior citizens is finalized, Alcoseba said the financial assistance will be sourced out from the 2015 allocation and supplemental budget.

Currently, the assistance given out by the province to the senior citizens is in-kind through the “Halad Alang Kang Lolo ug Lola” program.

Further, Alcoseba said should there be any concerns and problems during the registration process, such as disapproval of application, senior citizens are urged to report to the province’s Senior Citizen Council.

“Kung di sila (senior citizens) malista kay tungod politika ba ‘ron o kay wa ba miboto, ari diri sa province. Di sila angay mahadlok,” he said.

In a report of The FREEMAN last year, Alcoseba disclosed that there were some chief executives who refused to submit a list of senior citizens for fear that it would be used for political ends, which he denied.

Alcoseba authored the ordinance creating the Cebu Provincial Senior Citizens’ Council, which was passed last year.

The CPSCC ordinance goes after the welfare of the elderly and provides a comprehensive healthcare and rehabilitation system for disabled senior citizens to foster their capacity to attain a more meaningful and productive aging. — Michael Vencynth H. Braga/NSA (FREEMAN)