ON receiving her P3,000 cash gift, Timothea Mijares immediately shopped for plastic kitchen ware and redeemed a ring from a pawnshop early yesterday morning.
Mijares, a resident of barangay Mabolo, also gave P150 to her younger sister Milagros Fernandez.
A senior citizen herself, Fernandez had yet to receive the cash gift distributed by the Cebu City government to residents at least 60 years old.
Senior citizens are entitled to P2,000 for their birthday and another P2,000 for Christmas.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama added P1,000 more, to make yesterday’s release P3,000.
The mass distribution took place in barangay halls across Cebu City to reach 44,000 registered senior citizens.
Fernandez said she only signed up with the Office of Senior Citizens’ Affairs (OSCA) recently.
“The cash aid was pretty useful and I took advantage of it,” Mijares said.
The first half of the cash aid worth P2,000 was released in July.
The balance of P2,000 plus the P1,000 additional allowance that Mayor Rama promised during his State of the City Address (Soca) last June were released yesterday.
As early as 6 a.m., barangay treasurers escorted by tanods were at Cebu City Hall to collect the cash.
“During our monitoring of the distribution, there were no major concerns so far,” Rama said later.
Mijares, a widow and OSCA registered member for two years now, said she lined up at the Mabolo sports complex at 9:30 a.m. She was handed three P1,000 bills.
From the sports center, she went downtown with Milagros to buy plastic kitchen ware worth P395. She then paid P1,600 to redeem a ring from a pawnshop and gave P150 to Fernandez.
“I went early since it may be gone if I arrive late. I bought rice with my remaining cash,” Mijares said. As a widow with 11 children, Milagros said she lives on whatever amount she receives from her kids.
“The cash gift goes a long way in helping me cover my expenses,” she said. Other senior citizens weren’t so lucky.
Cresencia Managaytay of barangay Mambaling had yet to validate her registration at the OSCA office at Cebu City Hall.
The 75-year-old Managaytay, a native of Matina in Pangi, Davao City, holds a Davao City-issued senior citizens ID. She registered as a Cebu City voter in 1993 and received cash aid twice.
A widow who lives with two jobless children, Managaytay said she is always required to validate her registration with the Cebu City OSCA office every time financial aid is distributed in the city. “It would be good if I receive cash so I can pay my debts,” she said.