BARANGAY officials and fire brigade volunteers crowded Cebu City Hall to collect their share of cash assistance from the city government yesterday.
Barangay chairpersons each received P13,500 as assistance for the second quarter of the year.
They were supposed to get P15,000 assistance per month but their assistance is subject to the 10 withholding tax.
“I will use the money to pay my debts. Barangay officials have so many debts because their constituents ask for help,” Mabolo barangay chairman Reynaldo Ompoc said.
Barangay council persons were scheduled to receive assistance of P3,000 per month while barangay treasurers and secretaries will receive P2,000 per month also subject to withholding tax.
While barangay officials lined up at the City Hall legislative building social hall, fire brigade volunteers from 20 urban barangays also collected their share of assistance from the city at the city hall executive building roof deck.
Requirements
Councilor Dave Tumulak, head of the city’s command center, said there are 200 fire brigade volunteers from 20 urban barangays equip with fire trucks.
This includes barangays Mabolo, Tejero, Guadalupe and Lahug among others.
The city government is giving the volunteers cash assistance of P3,000 per month in compliance with an ordinance that he sponsored and was approved by the council.
City Hall allocated P1.2 million for the fire volunteers.
Yesterday’s assistance covered May and June while the cash assistance for March and April had yet to be released due to lack of requirements.
Fund sources
Distribution of the P2,000 cash aid to seniors who were unable to attend last week’s allocation will resume at the City Hall grounds tomorrow.
The city government already released P5,000 of the P6,000 assistance which Mayor Michael Rama promised.
The City Council authorized a P720 million budget this year for the release of P12,000 assistance to the seniors.
But Rama said he is only inclined to release half of the allocation in cash while the remaining half will be released in the form of material benefits.
The mayor said it is up to former councilor Joey Daluz, one of his financial advisers, to identify more fund sources which the city may use for seniors cash assistance.