OSCA aims to release cash aid on March 16

MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) in Cebu City is now in its final phase in its preparation for this year’s first distribution of financial assistance to close to 90,000 members.

OSCA head Vicente “Enting” Esmeña told The Freeman that they are looking at doing the distribution on March 16.

There are 88,564 qualified seniors for the first quarter of 2023 including 1,200 newly-added beneficiaries.

More seniors are noted in the south district with 45,890 while the rest are from the north district.

Since heading OSCA in July, Esmeña said, they have also recorded 3,220 deaths until the end of 2022.

Aside from the newly-approved beneficiaries, there are still around 6,000 pending applications that they are going over in the meantime.

Each of the qualified seniors gets P3,000 for the month of January, February, and March.

Distribution takes place in each of the 80 barangay halls or other designated areas after the cash cards have been scrapped.

House-to-house distribution will also be done for the benefit of the bedridden ones.

No authorization letters are also allowed anymore as well. —/GMR (FREEMAN)