City Hall sets up more stations to fast-track cash distribution to seniors.
Photo from Cebu City Information Office Facebook page.
Former fish vendor Emerencia Bardago was all smiles as she walked into the Barangay Guadalupe Sports Complex in anticipation of the senior citizens’ cash aid that she and 4,588 beneficiaries were about to receive from Cebu City Hall.
“Malipay pud intawn kay maayo na lang ni para sa pang-adlaw-adlaw,” (We are happy of course. This can at least help us in our daily needs),” said Bardago, who was with her 72-year-old husband at the sports complex.
“Akong mga anak, pobre man pud tawn kaayo. Mohatag sila maayo na lang pamugas kani para tawn panud-an (My children are also very poor. They give me money to buy rice while this money, we will use to buy viand),” she said.
Jovan Villanueva, Department of Public Services officer who was assigned to oversee the Guadalupe distribution, said 80 percent of the beneficiaries already claimed their assistance.
Another beneficiary, 71-year-old Elisea Gabutan, said the distribution of cash aid was more organized than the previous years.
Having the most number of senior citizen beneficiaries, City Hall organized 46 stations to service the seniors.
The seniors were given a specific station number based on alphabetical sequence.
A separate team also delivered the cash assistance to bedridden seniors at their homes.
Domingo Chavez Jr., chief of the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs, said the seniors who were unable to claim their cash aid for three consecutive distributions will be dropped from the list of beneficiaries.
He said the distribution of cash assistance will continue at Plaza Sugbu for the next two weeks.