Village chief says cash assistance for seniors should be govt-to-govt transaction

Senior citizens receive financial assistance today, September 21, at the Inayawan Sports Complex. CDND PHOTO / Delta Letigio

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Inayawan Barangay Captain Kirk Bryan Repollo said the distribution of financial assistance to senior citizens should be a government-to-government transaction, and not just a case of assigning a point person in the barangay.

Repollo made this statement on September 21, Saturday, during the distribution of financial assistance to senior citizens at the Inayawan Sports Complex.

It has been observed that the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) designates a person who will receive the cash assistance for distribution.

This practice happens in barangays whose leaders are not allied with the current administration.

Repollo said that Inayawan has 2,028 senior citizens in the masterlist with another 60 names in a masterlist which are described as bed-ridden because they are not physically well to join the distribution activity at the sports complex.

This is a total of 2,088 senior citizens.

With each senior citizen receiving P3,000 each, the total amount distributed today is P6. 2 million.

Repollo said an amount that significant should involve government-to-government transaction. In this case, OSCA, which is under the Cebu City Government, to the barangay.

Repollo urged the city government to directly coordinate with the barangays when it comes to distribution of financial assistance and not just a point person.

This is also to avoid confusion in terms of the venue where the cash assistance will be distributed. / celr