DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The senior citizens in the city will not yet receive the proposed financial aid of annual P3,000 this year, a councilor clarified.
Councilor Wilberto Al-ag of the Committee on Social Services, in an interview in the sidelines of Tuesday’s regular session, said they are yet to finalize the approval of the ordinance.
The City Council deferred the said proposed ordinance for its approval on second reading during yesterday’s regular session to get the opinion of the City Social Services and Development Office (CSSDO) and the City Budget Office.
“According to our proposal, we will release the said cash assistance every November of each year after this will be approved,” Al-ag said.
He added that although he is confident the ordinance will be passed this year since there is no opposition from the body, the distribution will still not be implemented this year as there is still a need to approve the budget for this cash assistance.
The proposed ordinance provides that qualified senior citizens with a population of 114,000 senior citizens will receive P3,000 annually.
With the said number, Al-ag said they expect a P342 million budget to cover the said assistance.
He added that he has coordinated to the Committee on Finance, Ways and Means, and Appropriations headed by Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang, to look for the source of the budget.
Al-ag, however, said he is confident that there is an available source for this amount.
These senior citizens, according to the councilor, must be registered in an active senior citizens’ association in their community to qualify for the cash assistance.
But Al-ag assured the senior citizens that the City Council would assign an office that will verify the residency of the senior citizens in the Commission on Elections.
Al-ag also assured that the senior citizens from the neighboring localities would not be able to claim residency in Davao City.
He said the Council will implement a measure that will verify the registration of the senior citizens in the city. (davaotoday.com)
