Cebu City seniors to get P5-T cash gift this year

CEBU City’s over 40,000 senior citizens may receive something extra from the city government this year.

Cathy Yso, head of the Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS), said the city government will increase their financial assistance from P4,000 to P5,000 this year.

The first half  will be released in June or July while the  balance will be released in December.

Yso said designated codes will be used for processing of claims of senior citizens.

Yso said a P300-million appropriation for senior citizen assistance is included in the 2012 budget.

The amount was sufficient to cover 50,000 seniors.

Cebu City  had 45,017 registered senior citizens as of September 2011.

The  figure may change, however, because some  have  died or transferred residency.  The number of beneficiaries could also increase with new registrants, Yso said.

Officials of Cebu City’s 80 barangays  also received the balance of their 2011 financial assistance from the city.

The city government allocated P5,000 as  aid to barangay captains and P3,000 each for councilors, barangay secretaries and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) chairmen.

Financial assistance for the months of September to December 2011 were released to barangay officials last year.

The appropriation for January to August was released  only yesterday.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said he wanted to be certain that the release of retroactive assistance to barangay and SK officials was authorized by the Commission on Audit (COA).

Rama earlier said the release of the 2012 aid depends on the availability of funds.

A City Council appropriation of at least P20 million for  financial assistance to barangay and SK officials was passed in September 2011. Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac