Seniors won’t give to CCMC

CEBU, Philippines - More than half of the registered senior citizens in Barangay Capitol Site have signed a manifesto informing the Cebu City government that they are against the propo-sal to donate P2,000 from their cash assistance to the construction of the new Cebu City Medical Center.

Capitol Site Barangay Captain Manuel Guanzon submitted their position paper with the signatures of 570 senior citizens to the City Council and to the Office of the Mayor.

According to the official website of the Office of Senior Citizen Affairs, Barangay Capitol Site has 1,068 registered senior citizens.

“We have heard that the amount of P2,000 will be lessen (sic), due to some reasons, as we’ve known that our share will be lessen (sic) for the benefit of the CCMC donation from the Senior Citizens December Christmas Financial Assistance Funds,” the manifesto read.

Guanzon said the city government should recognize the right of the senior citizens not to become the donors, or supporters of beneficial improvements and projects of the government.

“We are simply glad for this help (assistance), although it was just that amount but we heartily receive it granting it will still help us sustain our daily maintenance,” the manifesto further read.

The senior citizens said that they have all retired from their work and their businesses and have no sources of income anymore and so they need the city government’s cash assistance.

“It is the government’s responsibility, not ours,” they said, referring to the construction of the new CCMC.

It was earlier clarified by OSCA head Rolando Llaguno that the P2,000 cash assistance to be deducted by the city government from the last tranche of financial distribution in December is voluntary only.

The elderly are expected to get P12,000 financial assistance from the city government this year. Cebu City’s registered senior citizens have so far received P7,000 of the P12,000, with the remaining P5,000 to be given either as cash or in kind or a combination of both in December.

Llaguno said that senior citizens should remember that they will benefit from the world-class hospital after it is finished.

He said that there were senior citizens who signed to support the proposal of OSCA, but he has no idea exactly how many did.

Llaguno said that the manifesto that the elderly were asked to sign simply implies they volunteer to give a portion of their cash assistance for CCMC. He said that the manifesto will be collected in the first week of December.  —/BRP (FREEMAN)