CH forfeits P4.5 million aid for senior citizens

CEBU, Philippines -  The Cebu City government has forfeited a total of P4.5 million cash assistance for senior citizens after the beneficiaries failed to claim it within the prescribed period.

Rolando Llaguno, head of the Office of the Senior Citizens Association, said there are 3,418 out of the 59,000 registered senior citizens in the city who did not claim their cash assistance in February.

Llaguno said the unclaimed benefits will go back to the general fund and could not anymore be disbursed to the beneficiaries. Under the City Hall guidelines, cash assistance that is not claimed within 15 days after the scheduled distribution will be forfeited.

“No, they cannot receive it (anymore). (It will be) forfeited. Mobalik na sa  general fund (of the City),” he said.

The city government distributed in February P3,000 cash assistance to the seniors as his Valentine’s gift, P2,000 was last year’s balance while the P1,000 serve as this year’s advance payment.

Mayor Michael Rama promised to give the seniors P12,000 assistance this year. Half of the amount would be given in cash while the other half would be given in kind. 

The city government has allocated P720 million this year for seniors’ cash assistance.

Llaguno, however, said his office temporarily suspended processing applications because of the new system that it is implementing in the distribution of the cash aid.  (FREEMAN)