Labella postpones distribution of senior citizen’s financial assistance

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The distribution of senior citizen’s financial assistance in Cebu City on April 25 will no longer push through.

Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella said that the situation in the city with the continuous rise of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases may be risky for the senior citizens who are most vulnerable to the disease.

“Gischedule unta ang distribution sa financial assistance pinaagi sa home visitation karong Sabado, Abril 25, 2020, apan tungod sa nagkasaka ng kaso sa COVID-19 sa syudad, dili nalang una kini (distribution) mahinayaon,” said the mayor.

(The distribution of the financial assistance through home visitation was initially scheduled this Saturday, April 25, 2020, but because of the rising cases of COVID-19 in the city, we cannot push through with the distribution.)

The distribution will be moved to a later date when the virus spread has slowed down to a safer rate.

This is to ensure that both the person distributing the financial aid and the senior citizens will remain safe from the virus.

Currently, Cebu City has 173 cases of COVID-19 in at least 15 barangays. Distribution may be difficult for the locked-down sitios especially for infected areas such as Sitio Zapatera in Barangay Luz.

“Ang distribution mopadayon kung wala nay risk nga matakdan ug COVID-19 ang atong mga pinalanggang lolo og lola,” said the mayor.

(The distribution will continue if there is no longer risk of infection of COVID-19 to our beloved senior citizens.)

Some netizens aired their concern about the postponement of the financial aid, as many senior citizens need the money for maintenance medicine.

“Senior citizens basic needs can’t be postponed like food and maintenance medicines. They can’t buy if they don’t have money to be used. Supposedly, they must be one of the priorities to be given financial assistance because most of them are no longer working. Are they not considered in dire needs for financial assistance?” commented a netizen on Labella’s Facebook post.

Netizens say that the senior citizens may not die of COVID-19, but they can die of hunger or other illnesses as they do not have the money to buy enough food or medicine.

Nanay Pacing, 64, of Barangay Kinasang-an told CDN Digital that the postponement of the financial assistance would mean she will have to borrow money for her maintenance medicine.

Nanay Pacing who lived with her son’s family said their income is not enough to buy her maintenance medicine for her heart condition.

She hoped the mayor will reconsider the postponement and find ways to deliver the financial assistance to them. /rcg