Aid for elderly: Cebu City eyes distributing cash card

At least 77,000 senior citizens will receive P3000 financial assistance from the Cebu City government in this September 21, 2019 file photo. | Delta Dyrecka Letigio

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The Cebu City government is considering using cash cards as a means of distributing financial assistance for senior citizens in the city.

At a press conference on Monday, April 6, 2020, Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella said they were set to give cash aid for the city’s over 80,000 elderly for the months of March and April.

This means each qualified senior citizen is expected to receive P2,000 from the city.

However, due to mobility restrictions as a result of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in effect because of the coronavirus crisis in the Philippines, it prompted city officials to look for other means of distribution.

Labella said they would be negotiating with officers from Landbank in addressing this concern.

“If we’re going to continue the usual ways of distribution, we’re expecting senior citizens to crowd, defeating the purpose of social distancing protocols,” Labella said.

Usually, elders will proceed to their nearest barangay halls to receive the cash assistance intended for them.

With cash cards, Labella said, senior citizens would no longer have to queue inside barangay halls or other similar facilities, and that an authorized representative could withdraw cash on their behalf.

The city has also ordered elders age 65 years old and above to stay at home unless urgent needs, such as shopping for basic goods and seeking medical assistance, compel them to go outside.

This is because, citing observations from health experts, senior citizens are among the most vulnerable to the threats of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). /dbs