NOT even the rain showers and dark clouds on Friday morning, Nov. 30, were enough to dampen the bright smile on Raquel Tape’s face.

“It is about to rain outside. It is also getting noisy and hot in here, but I take it that we are just buzzing with excitement,” Tape told SunStar Cebu as she patiently waited inside the badminton court of the Cebu City Sports Complex.

She was one of the close to 6,000 public school teachers and personnel who received their annual P10,000 financial assistance from the Cebu City Government.

During the distribution, however, not all teachers got the entire amount since the City had to deduct P5,000 from those who received their cost of living allowance and hardship allowances in 2015.

Among those who received only half of their cash aid was Ma’am Tape.

But instead of feeling bad, the Grade 7 English teacher from Zapatera National High School saw it as a positive development.

“I am thankful because this is not an obligation, this is a blessing. This cash bonus from the City Government has also helped me when I was in a slump four years ago,” Tape said.

In 2014, both parents of the 54-year-old teacher got terribly sick and took turns going in and out of the hospital.

As the breadwinner, Tape shouldered the hospital bills. The burden, though, became too heavy for her P25,500 monthly salary that she had to resort to taking loans.

The salary deductions left her with only P2,500 a month to feed her family of four and buy her needs.

“It was a big dilemma and my parents eventually passed away. But I am still grateful that I at least had the cash bonus. It helped us keep our stomachs full during the Christmas holiday,” Tape said.

The mother of two said most of her cash bonus will go to groceries for their Noche Buena, and whatever is left will be for Christmas presents.

For her personal Christmas wish, Tape said she hopes her application to teach in the United States will be approved soon.

Today, Dec. 1, it’s the turn of the senior citizens to receive their P2,000 from the City, the last tranche of the P12,000 financial assistance they receive every year.