Monthly release of seniors’ aid proposed

Councilor Margot Osmeña yesterday presented to the City Council an ordinance that will amend the 2013 budget ordinance to change the bi-annual distribution of Senior Citizen’s Assistance to a monthly schedule.

But Mayor Michael Rama who also wanted the budget ordinance amended to distribute the cash dole-out quarterly is not happy.

“Are they again doing the job of the mayor?” Mayor Michael Rama said when sought for comment.

The mayor said a monthly release of the assistance would be very cumbersome to the City Treasurer’s Office which will have to prepare about 60,000 senior citizen payrolls.

The 2013 budget of P5.2 billion included a P600 million appropriation which would afford senior citizens P7,000 cash assistance from City Hall.

Meanwhile, the City Council already received yesterday a copy of Rama’s P36.7 million proposed supplemental budget 1 (SB1) which will be spent mostly for the P7, 000 charter day bonus to City Hall employees. Another item in SB1 is to defray expenses incurred by City Hall during the Sinulog Festival.

SB1 was referred to the budget committee for review while a budget hearing was scheduled on Friday morning./Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac