Seniors’ cash aid to be given before March ends, says Labella

In this 2014 file photo, senior citizens in Cebu City receive their cash assistance from the government.

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The cash aid for senior citizens here will be distributed before the end of March, Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella said on Monday, March 8, 2021.

Labella, in a post on his social media page, said each qualified senior is expected to receive P3,000 in financial assistance, which is for the first three months of 2021.

“I would like to assure our senior citizens in Cebu City that the Office of Senior Citizen Affairs (OSCA) is already preparing for their financial assistance and these will be released soon,” said Labella.

“Before the end of March, the City Government will release the P3,000 cash aid to each beneficiary for the months of January, February, and March,” he added.

The mayor said they decided to consolidate the distribution of financial aid for seniors as the City Treasurer’s Office is also simultaneously prioritizing payment of business taxes.

Meanwhile, Labella said they will continue to distribute seniors’ cash aid in a house-to-house arrangement if the 15,000 cash cards the city has requested from Landbank cannot be used yet.

“I will check with them to see if kumpleto and subtantial na ang miabot aron pwede na magamit sa mga nahatagan. If not, ato lang usa gihapong ihatod ang financial assistance sa tagsa-tagsa ka mga pinuy-anan sa atong senior citizens,” said Labella.

(I will check with Landbank to see if the cash cards have been completed and those that arrived in Cebu City are already in substantial quantity so they can be used to those who will be provided. If not, we will continue to distribute the cash aid to each senior’s residence.)

/bmjo

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