Can the Cebu city government afford to enforce the Solo Parents’ ordinance recently passed by the Cebu City Council?
Its proponent, Councilor Gerardo Carillo, said only qualified beneficiaries can avail of the P5,000 cash aid. At least 1,000 single parents have registered so far, but that list will balloon once guidelines for distribution are finalized.
Nine of the 12 councilors signed the ordinance into law. They overrode the veto of Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama. This means he has no choice but to prepare a budget for it next year.
Rama’s plan to file a petition for declaratory relief may tie it up in court, providing new political ammunition for the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) to flog him in the runup to the 2016 elections.
It looks like a populist ordinance, a work of clever political strategy, rather than true social altruism and practical benevolence.
Ideally, the plan involves giving something to someone without tearing out one’s pockets.
Rama tried to be populist himself when he promised to increase the annual cash assistance of senior citizens from P5,000 to P10,000 and now P12,000— part of his campaign promise that helped him get reelected.
This year, tight cash flow forced him to modify the promise and announce that only half of it or P6,000 would be in cash, while the balance would come in non-cash benefits. The details have yet to be spelled out.
The bottom line in all of this generosity is the reality that Cebu City can’t afford to pay all of these beneficiaries, old and new.
If we can’t keep up with obligations to the elderly, how much more for the bigger crowd of single parents –– not to mention the logistical stress of determining who qualifies for the subsidy.
(There’s a marriage certificate to prove a couple’s legitimate union. How do you certify that a benevolent unmarried aunt is the stand-in parent of a distance relation?)
Councilor Eugenio Gabuya of BO-PK noted the limits of City Hall’s finances is, as he questioned where was the true priority of the city.
Is it with the seniors, the barangay workers, the scholars or the single parents?
And like the seniors’ cash aid, this ordinance may attract other indigent single parents from all over the province to Cebu City.
Where would the Rama administration get the funds?
Cebu City can ill afford to finance this new allowance.
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.
