MANILA, Philippines — Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto has apologized to senior citizens who have yet to receive their P3,000 cash gift from the city government, due to the coronavirus disease pandemic.
“Ako po ay humihingi ng inyong pangunawa at pasensya dahil 40 percent ng senior citizens na hindi pa po natanggap ang kanilang cash gift so I am very sorry, we did our best. Siguro nakita naman natin, talagang sinubukan natin although because of pandemic maraming nadelay. Hindi lang sa end ng LGU [local government unit],” said Sotto in a Facebook live on Christmas Day, Friday.
(I am asking for your understanding and forgiveness because there are 40 percent senior citizens who have yet to receive their cash gift so I am very sorry, we did everything but because of the pandemic it was delayed. Not only with the end of LGUs)
Sotto pointed out that there were only a few members of the Landbank of the Philippines to distribute the financial aid to senior citizens.
“May elemento ‘yan na hindi ganoon karami ang staff ng Landbank. Hindi nila kaya iyong sobra sobrang overtime. Hindi rin pwede naman ideputize tayo para magauthorize na mamamahagi [ng cash gift], kasi swerte na tayo na pumayag sila sa offsite,” Sotto said, explaining one of the reasons for the delays in cash aid.
(There is also an element that there were only a few Landbank members. They cannot do overtime duty. They can’t just deputize to authorize in distributing the cash gift because we are already lucky that they were allowed to distribute it offsite.)
Some cash gift beneficiaries also did not follow social distancing during the distribution of cash aid, Sotto said.
“Nakita natin yung sa ibang sites medyo nagkagulo o hindi na nanatili yung social distancing. I take responsibility for that. Humihingi ako nang paumanhin. Pinipilit natin na kung ilan ang kayang mabigyan na senior citizens ay mabigyan po natin,” he said.
(We saw that some sites had some issues or difficulty in maintaining social distancing. I take responsibility for that. I am asking for your understanding. We will still see to it that we will give the cash gifts to senior citizens.
Nevertheless, Sotto assured the 40 percent of the city’s senior citizens that they will still get their P3,000 cash gift.
“Anyway, maaasahan pa rin natin iyong 3,000 pesos na iyon — Iyong cash gift na iyon. Kahit na maraming gastos sa COVID bilyon bilyon ang ginastos natin para maging maayos po,” he said.
(Anyway, they will still expect their P3,000. It is a cash gift. Even as we spent billions of money for our COVID programs.)