3T seniors still cannot get Cebu City cash aid

Around 2,800 newly registered senior citizens still have to wait some more to receive the Cebu City government’s financial assistance since what was budgeted for this year is only for 60,000.

The city set aside at least P720 million for the P12,000 cash assistance for each of the 60,000 beneficiaries, but the senior citizens numbered 2,790 more.

“Sa katong wala pay apil sa payroll, just wait lang and pray that our city councilors will approve the proposed increase of budget,” said Office of Senior Citizen Affairs Head Domingo Chavez.

He said they are eyeing an additional P60 million on top of the P720 million to accommodate another 5,000 senior citizens.

As of December last year, 2,790 elderly were noted by the Department of Social Welfare and Services as newly qualified senior citizens that can avail of the aid.

“We don’t know kon pila na ang new applicants from January 2015 up to today. Process mi og mga 40 ka applicants every day,” Chavez said.

City Treasurer Diwa Cuevas said the city government only allocated a budget for 60,000 senior citizens.

“Ang application ang first come first serve nato. We budgeted money for the 60,000 senior citizens only maong dili ta kahatag sa mo-exceed ana,” she said.

Cuevas, though, said that the city government would provide the financial assistance to the senior citizens listed in the DSWS payroll.

“Ipang delete ang dili taga Cebu City, katong namatay, ug katong wala nakakuha og pila na ka-distributions aron ma-replace-san nato sa mga nang-apply nga bag-o,” she said.

Last January, the city distributed P3,000 of to senior citizens. P2,000 of the amount represents the remaining balance of last year’s cash assistance, while the P1,000 serves as first tranche of the P12,000 for this year.

The second tranche, which is P2,000 for each senior citizen, was already given last April 24.