MORE than 60,000 senior citizens in Cebu City were each given P2,000 in cash aid yesterday as part of their quarterly cash assistance worth P12,000 from the Cebu City government.
In barangay Lahug, 67-year-old Carmen Sensotic came to the barangay Lahug Elementary School’s Sports Center at 7 a.m. to receive her cash assistance.
“I’m the only one who went here and it was hard for me since my husband died. I am also being driven out of the place I live in because it is termite-infested,” said Sensotic as she sat with other seniors under a tree outside the sports center.
She has been working odd jobs and her only child has a family to take care of.
“Karon, naa nakoy ikabayad sa akong sunod nga puy-anan. Bisan kuwang pa, madala raman hangyo, kay maluoy man sad silag tiguwang (Now I can pay for the next place I will stay in. If it’s inadequate, it can be negotiated because they would take pity on an elderly person),” Senositic said in jest.
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Another senior, 92-year-old Leonisa Alicaya, was unable to get her cash aid because she was selling candles to churchgoers outside Basilica del Santo Niño.
Alicaya said she will claim her cash aid today at Plaza Sugbo, along with other senior citizens and persons with disability (PWDs) who were unable to claim their cash aid on the designated schedule.
City Treasurer Diwa Cuevas said the Cebu City government allocated over P120 million for yesterday’s cash assistance to senior citizens.
The city government budgeted P720 million for the seniors’ cash assistance this year.
In barangay Sto. Niño, 184 seniors lined up at 8 a.m. at the barangay hall to receive the P2,000 cash aid.
For those unable to visit the barangay halls to receive their cash aid, city hall staffers visited the homes of beneficiaries at past noon.
Among those who were visited by City Hall staffers were 86-year-old Josefina Vallar and 88-year-old retired school principal Zosimo Vallar.
The couple, who have been married since 1962, were being visited by city hall staffers for the past three years. Zosimo said their cash aid will be used to buy their medicines.
Zosimo said he spends P2,000 in medicines for his hypertension and P4,000 monthly for his wife’s heart and blood pressure complications.
City Administrative Officer Mary Grace Teoxon said they released the cash aid to 15 seniors at the ground floor since they cannot go upstairs.
Lolita Lim, a member of the barangay council’s committee on education in barangay Sto. Niño, also helped in processing the PhilHealth applications of seniors./WITH UP Cebu Intern Juli Ann M. Sibi
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