Cash gifts set for QC seniors who’ll turn 75 in October

MANILA, Philippines–Senior citizens residing in Quezon City who will turn 75 years old this October will receive cash gifts from the local government in line with the city’s 75th anniversary celebration.

Mayor Herbert Bautista approved an ordinance on Monday giving a treat to the elderly birthday celebrators, who were grouped under two categories.

The first group, the “recipient diamond celebrants” or those whose 75th birthday coincides with the city’s founding anniversary on Oct. 12, will receive P7,500 each.

“Recipient celebrants” or those whose birthday falls on other dates in October, will get P5,000 each.

The seniors are being given these gifts for being “our pillar of strength, source of wisdom and inspiration, and for being our guardian of morality,” according to the ordinance authored by Councilor Raquel Malañgen.

A tentative list prepared by the local Office for Senior Citizens Affairs (Osca) showed that are 21 diamond celebrants and 214 recipient celebrants.

“I will use it to give my amigas a treat,” said Erlinda Saligumba, a diamond celebrant from District 3, who was at the Osca office on Tuesday to coordinate an alay-lakad (walk for a cause) project on Oct. 4.

The cash gifts will be drawn from the city’s budget for the diamond jubilee celebration. Recipients must be registered at Osca for verification and will be formally recognized in a program to be scheduled by the city government.–Erika Sauler