Cash gift for seniors, brgy execs out in May

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama announced yesterday the final schedule for the distribution of cash assistance and incentives to senior citizens, barangays officials and City Hall employees.

Rama said that at least 60,000 qualified seniors will each receive P2,000 on May 2, the remaining balance of the P3,000 aid the city has promised to give for the first quarter of this year.

The P1,000 aid has been given to them in advance in February as Valentine’s gift of the mayor.

The cash incentives for barangay officials will be released on May 3 while the mid-year bonus of City Hall employees will be distributed on May 15.

City Treasurer Diwa Cuevas said that for the first quarter, the city set aside P120 million cash aid to the city residents aged 60 and above.

“This is our usual ‘City Hall at your door step’ with the senior citizens, a way of bringing our work as a manner of mortification,” said Rama.

Rama said he has directed his department heads to consider the distribution of cash aids to the elderly as an “apostolic activity.”

“Wa’y magreklamo. Kung naa gyu’y maldita ug maldito, maghilam-os lang usa sa kasaba.

Treat them like your parents or grandparents, and think someday you will also be there being served,” the mayor said.

Rama tasked Cuevas, city administrator Lucelle Mercado, and city engineer Jose Marie Poblete to take charge of the distribution.

Rama promised to give the seniors P12,000 assistance this year, half of which would be given in cash while the other half would be given in kind. The city is allocating a total of P720,000 million this year for the senior’s cash aid.

The city government is also giving P5,000 incentives to village chiefs in all 80 barangays. Barangay councilmen will each receive P3,000 while secretaries and treasures will each have a share of P2,000.

Cuevas said the city allocated P7 million for the first quarter for the cash incentive for barangay officials.

For the midyear bonus, some 5,000 employees of City Hall will each receive half of their monthly basic salary, the city treasurer said. —/ATO (FREEMAN)