Another P2,000 for Cebu City seniors

Elderly people, some of them on wheelchairs, crowded barangay halls and barangay sports centers in Cebu City yesterday to collect their P2,000  cash aid from the city government.

At 8 a.m. the gym  in barangay Poblacion Pardo was full of senior citizens who sat on monobloc chairs waiting for their turn to receive their cash subsidy.

Barangay captain Althea Lim said she had  barangay emergency responders standing by to make sure no untoward incident happens to the seniors.

The P2,000 is the third installment this year of a  promised P12,000 annual assistance for about 60,000 registered senior citizens in the city.

Mayor Michael Rama earlier said the cash aid would depend on the  city’s finances and that was considering giving half of it or P6,000 in non-cash assistance like groceries.

All except two of the 80 barangay sports centers were used yesterday since the gyms in San Roque and Tinago are  occupied by fire victims of last week’s big fire.

Lilia Azucena Diche, a 78-year-old widow, lost her house in the  August 8 fire that hit barangay San Roque.

She said she  woke up early and labored to climb  the stairs to the fourth floor of the barangay hall to collect her cash aid.

“Igo ra gyud ko mokupot ani  karon kay ipalit ni nakog tambal sa akong arthritis (I can only hold the money for awhile.  I have to buy  maintenance medicine for my arthritis),” a grateful Diche told Cebu Daily News.

At 8 a.m.  the  fourth floor of  San Roque’s barangay hall was already crowded with senior citizens.

By 11:00 a.m., only a few were left waiting for their turn.

Out of  367 listed senior citizens,  298 beneficiaries claimed their assistance said Arlie Gesta, who was assigned by the barangay to distribute the cash.

Acting City Treasurer Diwa Cuevas said a total of  P115 million was allocated for yesterday’s  distribution.

Senior citizens who were unable to claim their share  can go to City Hall on Wednesday to collect.

City Hall personnel will also be sent out next week to deliver  cash assistance  to the homes of senior citizens who are sick and bedridden.

“We anticipated that not all senior citizens could  come to claim because this is only done for half a day today. Those who couldn’t be served by the city today can go to City Hall on Wednesday to claim their cash,” said Cuevas.

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