News Briefs

Senior citizens aid to be distributed  quarterly

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama wants a quarterly distribution of senior citizen’s assistance.

Rama said he will issue an executive order that would give senior citizens a P2,500 cash dole-out every quarter.

Cebu City Hall allocated P10,000 annual assistance to senior citizens living in the city. Previously, the distribution of the assistance was done twice a year.

Rama said the quarterly distribution would better address the sustenance and health needs of senior citizens.

There is however a hindrance to Rama’s move – the 2013 Budget Ordinance which scheduled the release of the senior citizen assistance in June and December.

City Councilor Margot Osmeña smells politics in Rama’s move, saying this meant that the mayor can distribute the first tranche of the dole-out before the May 13 election.

Rama said he is not afraid if his opponents would look at his decision as politically motivated, “kay ila man sad ning gi buhat sa una.”

(They have also done it before.)/Correspondent Edison delos Angeles

Youth groups tell Congress: Pass foi

With two session days remaining before the 15th Congress goes on recess to give way to the election campaign period, progressive youth groups in Cebu have appealed for the passage of the Freedom on Information Bill.

“Should Congress decide to do a ‘Noynoying’. they will fail each and every Filipino whose right to information is at stake,” said Aaron Pedrosa, secretary-general of the Freedom from Debt Coalition – Cebu.

Teody Navea of Sanlakas Cebu said they wanted to take advantage of the election season to campaign against politicians who are against the passage of the FOI.

He said they also have ongoing campaigns to challenge politicians to disclose their finances.

The Union of Progressive Students, Sanlakas party-list, Freedom from Debt Coalition, Cebuano Youth Ambassadors, and the Student Council Alliance of the Philippines (SCAP) made the last minute appeal in a press conference last Monday in the University of the Philippines – Cebu campus./Correspondents Sean Timothy Salvador and Edison delos Angeles