EASY ACCESS. A City Hall employee gives special treatment to Mamerta Arellano of brgy San Nicolas, a blind woman, who was given her share of the cash assistance without disembarking from a pedal-powered tricycle. (CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO)
SENIOR citizens were all smiles yesterday as they received P2,000-financial aid from the Cebu City government.
Editha Lee, 80, of barangay Guadalupe, said the distribution was faster than usual.
“Okay kaayo ang system. Dali ra kaayo nako na claim ang akong assistance,” said Lee. (The system is better now, it was done quickly.) She was accompanied by a helper when she claimed her assistance which she will use to buy rice and medicine.
Workers from the Department of Public Services (DPS) took charge of the distribution in barangay Guadalupe.
Mayor Michael Rama has adopted a system wherein a City Hall office or section is tasked to oversee the distribution of assistance in the barangays.
But not all the seniors went home with cash on hand.
Cresencia Balos, 68, went to the Lahug sports complex at 8 a.m. thinking that she too would receive her share but her name could not be found in the master list.
Balos applied in the city’s cash assistance program in 2011. She will receive her share in 2016 because the city government imposed a cut-off to clear their list and ensure that only city residents avail of the cash aid.
“Ang uban masuko man pero ako dili lang ko masuko kay ako baya ang nangayo sa tabang sa City Hall,” she said. (Others would get upset, but I understand.)
Balos is from Siquijor. She came to Cebu City in 2004 to work as nanny for her nephew’s child. She shares the money that she gets from her nephew with her husband who remained in Siquijor to farm.
“Maayo unya ug maka dawat na sad ko’g assistance sa City Hall kay maayo na lang para palit tambal,” she said. (I hope to get assistance so I can buy medicines.) She has chest pains and is taking maintenance drugs.
Rama wants the Office of Senior Citizens’ Affairs (OSCA) to conduct a survey among the elderly to ask how else the city could be of service to them.
He promised to release P6,000 in cash assistance to the elderly this year and has so far released P3,000.
Rama promised to give P12,000 worth of assistance to senior citizen residents of Cebu City this year. Last year, City Hall promised P10,000 but was only able to release P8,000. The balance was released last February, along with the P1,000 first release for this year.
Rama also promised noncash assistance but he remains undecided on what this would be.
“Maglibog lang sad ko ug unsay ilang gusto kay ang uban gusto ug cash. Ang uban gusto ug tambal.” (Some want money while others want medicines).