Bucao promises to lower age of recipients of P100K cash reward from 100 to 70

TALISAY City, Cebu residents who are 70 years old would receive the P100,000 financial reward that has been reserved only for centenarians.

This was the promise of Vice Mayor Alan Bucao should he win the race for the city’s mayorship on Monday, May 9, 2022 against his erstwhile ally, the reelectionist Mayor Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas Jr.

During the grand rally of Bucao’s Barug Lumad Talisaynon on Thursday evening, May 5, at the Cebu South Coastal Road in Talisay City, the mayoralty candidate said he would endorse to the City Council a measure that would lower the age requirement for senior citizens to become eligible for the P100,000 reward from 100 to 70 once he’s voted into the mayor’s office.

Talisay police chief Lt. Col. Randy Caballes said around 4,500 people witnessed the rally that was also attended by Rico Almaria, who is running for vice mayor, and the entire slate of Barug Lumad Talisaynon.

“We know that the government will give centenarian award to those who reach 100 years old, and I’m sure that the awardee will not anymore enjoy it because the only food that he/ she could eat is porridge (lugaw) and the award may only lead to quarrel among his/her children, so let’s lower it to 70,” Bucao said in Cebuano.

Bucao added that on his first day as mayor, he would lay out solutions to the problems that the city usually encounters.

“I have already instructed my councilors to study the usual problems hounding the city and to identify the appropriate measures that need to be taken to solve it,” said Bucao in his speech.

Bucao further said that during the campaign period, his party was not allowed to use the covered courts in the city’s 22 barangays as venues for their campaign sorties.

But the vice mayor took this as a blessing, saying they were able to know personally the problems of the residents during their visits to different sitios and barangays.

The rally turned out orderly and peaceful, according to Caballes.

Candidates under the Barug Lumad Talisaynon who are seeking seats in the City Council are lawyer Jared Cabilte, Gilbert dela Cerna, Clifford delos Reyes, Aldin Diaz, Iñaki Jordana, Ellen Lastimosa, Dr. Lina Libres, Roger Lopernes and Bernard Odilao.