Rama warns staff: Immediately attend to visitors, or else.

CEBU, Philippines - Mayor Michael Rama yesterday told the personnel of the Office of the Mayor to immediately attend to the needs of everyone who will be asking help at his office and warned that those who will just take his order for granted will be terminated from their jobs.

Rama issued the order and the warning when he personally saw several persons bringing papers and standing inside the office of his staff shortly before noon yesterday.

The mayor personally asked what they need from his office and was seen taking the papers from a woman and signing it quickly while standing beside her.

Rama said he wants all persons transacting in his office to be attended to immediately by his personnel and not to let them wait long before they will be entertained.

Several of those who visited the Office of the Mayor yesterday were senior citizens who sought the help of the mayor because their names are not in the master list of those who may avail of the incentives.

After Rama announced that he will increase to P7,000 the annual cash incentive for each of the senior citizens, several elderly persons trooped to City Hall hoping they will receive such grant.

There was a time that Rama went out of his office upon seeing so many persons standing outside and personally arranged plastic chairs so that it could be used by the visitors.

“Maisip ta nga bastos kon dili nato palingkoron ang mga bisita. Pareho ra kon ako maoy moadto sa inyong balay unya dili ko ninyo palingkoron, mahiubos ‘sab ko,(We will be rude if we won’t let visitors sit down. It’s the same as when I visit your house and you will not let me sit down, I would be disappointed.) ” the mayor told the visitors.

Meanwhile, there are now more than 60,000 senior citizens listed as beneficiaries of the city’s cash assistance program while the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) continued to receive several applications.

The OSCA personnel, however, screened the applicants because several senior citizens from other places in the Cebuano-speaking provinces reportedly came to Cebu City and stayed with their relatives just to claim the benefits.

The P200 million budget allocated by the City Council in the 2012 Annual Budget for the senior citizens financial assistance will not be enough if Rama will pursue his plan to increase the cash aid.  (FREEMAN)