OSCA: Cebu City must give benefits to people over 80

CEBU, Philippines - Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (Osca) Chief Guillermo Casinillo is working out on the qualification of senior citizens 80 years old to Cebu City’s financial assistance program.

These are senior citizens who, because of old, age were not able to apply for the assistance because they have long stopped participating in election activities.

Casinillo said that most of these elderly are in the mountain barangays and their health conditions prevent them from going to polling precincts to vote.

When the City Government established the Financial Assistance Program in 2009, those who qualified are senior citizens who are registered voters of Cebu City during the 2007 elections.

This left senior citizens 80 years old and above unqualified for the assistance.

“Sila man unta dapat ang mas nanginahanglan og assistance tungod sa ilang kondisyon. Kung mapamatud-an lang na taga-Cebu City sila, paningkamutan nato nga maapil sila sa atong programa,” he said. (These is the group who needs the assistance most. If they can prove that they are from Cebu City, then we will try to include them in the program.)

Casinillo said that he is finding ways for the City to agree to exempt the senior citizens 80 years old and above from this particular rule.

He clarified, though, that those 60 to 79 years old must still be a registered voter before they could apply.

OSCA has not resumed accepting new applicants for the Cebu City Government’s financial assistance to senior citizens almost 10 months since its suspension last May.

Casinillo said they have yet to finalize the new guidelines and they have not received a go signal from the mayor.

For the meantime, existing beneficiaries will continue receiving the assistance.

There are an estimated 5,000 senior citizens who are qualified but are not yet part of the 32,000 who are currently receiving financial assistance of P4,000 per year.

Casinillo earlier said that there are more or less 1,000 senior citizens who are part of the payroll but have not been living in Cebu City for a long time. They just decided to come back here to avail of the assistance. — (FREEMAN)