Garcia: Release senior citizens’ cash aid early

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City acting Mayor Raymond Garcia has ordered that the distribution of financial assistance for senior citizens should be done on the first week of every quarter while those of the persons with disabilities should be done a week thereafter.

Garcia also promised to look into the reasons why supply of maintenance medicines for senior citizens was stopped.

According to Garcia, he had been doing the rounds during distributions of financial aid to senior citizens and is looking for innovative ways how to efficiently distribute the funds to the qualified beneficiaries.

“Last week, we have distributed the senior citizen’s financial assistance to the 80 barangays… Dili man maperfect ang atong distribution and as we forward, we always look for innovative ways to make sure it goes without a hitch the following times that we are able to give financial assistance sa atong mga pinalanggang senior citizens,” Garcia said.

Although Garcia said the seniors were already thankful that they did not anymore experience a hard time claiming their benefit.

“Pirmirong semana, gihatag na. So, I felt so happy and I felt so proud to all of you that we were able to deliver it at the most expeditious and fast and earliest time,” Garcia said.

He ordered the local finance committee to ensure that seniors will get their c ash assistance every first week of the month of the quarterly distribution while the PWDs on the second week.

“…that is a directive to our local finance and people who are in charge, nga basta senior citizen’s financial assistance na, every quarter man na, it has to be on the first week of the month. Ang PWD will be on the following week,” Garcia said.

Garcia disclosed that he was asked about the maintenance medicines which the seniors used to receive from the city government and he promised to look into it.

“I have to check that out and find out if that report is actually true kay gipangita na ang ilang maintenance medicines. In fact, some barangays, naghatag na sila sa ilang kaugalingong maintenance medicines on their own as a barangay pero limited ra ang ilang mahatag. So, I’m directing now the City Health Department and I will already present a consultant who will look into this,” Garcia said.

Garcia is also looking at distributing the maintenance medicines directly to their own homes hopefully starting next year.

“We will look at that program unya tan-awn sab nako ang budget but hopefully we can do it at the earliest time on January of next year. I am directing the CHD and city administrator to look into that possibility program nga atong ipanghatag or ibalik nato ang programa nga manghatag ta og maintenance medicines sa atong senior citizens ug sa tanan nga nanginahanglan og maintenance medicines wheter it may be naay high blood, diabetes, ug uban pa,” said Garcia. — (FREEMAN)