Cash aid distribution for seniors in Mandaue City 99% complete

Mandaue City Treasurer, lawyer Regal Oliva

OLANGO ISLAND, Lapu-Lapu City — Mandaue City was able to distribute 99 percent of the financial assistance worth P4,000 to the city’s more than 24,000 senior citizens.

Lawyer Regal Oliva, the city’s treasurer, said the remaining one percent represents the seniors who are no longer living in the city.

Oliva added the cash aid for the absentee seniors was forfeited and returned to the general fund after they failed to claim the assistance within the given period.

The city’s house-to-house distribution of assistance started last April 12, 2021, and ended yesterday, April 23.

“Remember dili man ni siya sweldo gud, this is not really a right but this is a privilege given to the senior citizens in Mandaue City. You may also get naman in the next senior citizens’ distribution at the end of the year,” said Oliva.

Oliva said the senior citizens cash assistance eats more than 10 percent of the whole budget of the city or about P270 million per year.

The cash aid is the first tranche of the P8,000 annual financial aid of the senior citizens in the city.

Oliva said as it was their third house-to-house distribution and they have not experienced any major challenges and difficulties.

The city treasurer also clarified that all their disbursing officers have not experienced COVID-19 symptoms.

Last April 2020, some of their staff members who distributed the aid were placed on home quarantine for coming into contact with two senior citizens who later tested positive for the virus. /rcg