A disbursing officer hands P2,000 cash assistance to a senior citizen at Punta Princesa Elementary School on Saturday, December 10, 2022.| Wenilyn B. Sabalo
CEBU CITY, Philippines –Hundreds of senior citizens from Barangay Punta Princesa in Cebu City flocked to the Punta Princesa Elementary School on Saturday morning, December 10, 2022, for the first day of the simultaneous distribution of the final senior citizens’ cash assistance this year.
In Barangay Punta Princesa alone, about 2,600 senior citizens are expected to benefit from the P2,000 cash assistance the city government provided to cover November and December.
Punta Princesa Councilor Jose Navarro told CDN Digital that the distribution began as early as 7:30 a.m. on Saturday. They set the cut-off time at 3 p.m. on the same day.
“Han-ay man siya. Naay ubang seniors nisayo g’yod mao to nga na delatar gamay kay pag-abot sa mga disbursing officers, nagprepare pa unya nahunong sila kadiyot pero sa ngadto dali ra sila nahuman,” he said.
The 10-day cash assistance distribution will resume on Monday and Tuesday, December 12 and 13 at the same venue.
As authorization letters are not allowed, Navarro said those who cannot claim their cash assistance on the first three days of the scheduled distribution at the barangay can claim their assistance at the Cebu City hall.
“After three days mingaw na g’yod na kay ang uban man gud wala na namuyo diri. Muari lang og mukobra mao nang usahay makalangan. Pero og naa na sila sa Punta, adtuon man sad namo. Ang uban sad naa sa hospital mao sad ng adtuon sad namo,” he said.
“Kinahanglan magdala sila sa ilang original nga ID kay dili ra ba i-honor sa atong mga disbursing officers kadtong mga xerox nga ID. Ang uban man gud mga seniors nato, ang ilang mga ID, ilang ipa-xerox kay ilang taguan ang original sa ilaha,” he added.
Among the senior citizens who lined up to claim her assistance on Saturday morning was 86-year-old Corazon Castro, accompanied by her daughter.
Castro said she will use the P2,000 cash assistance to buy her medicines. /rcg
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Final seniors citizen’s cash assistance for the year to be distributed starting Dec. 10