THE Office of Senior Citizen Affairs (Osca) announced on April 1, 2020 in Lapu-Lapu City that at the moment, they will not be able to give the midyear cash assistance for senior citizens in the city.

This is following the City Council’s approval of the early release of the midyear cash assistance in light of the Covid-19 crisis.

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard "Ahong" Chan approved of the said early release.

However, Osca in-charge Carmelita Berame explained that the guidelines and mechanics regarding the distribution of the cash assistance for senior citizens have yet to be finalized.

These guidelines will be crucial to avoid possible crowding of senior citizens and still maintain social distancing during the distribution of the cash assistance.

Berame disclosed that even though there’s already an ordinance in place regarding senior citizens staying home 24/7, some still insist on going to the Osca office to ask about the release date of the cash assistance.

One of the plans is to give the cash assistance from house to house. However, this has not been finalized yet as changes are still being made to make sure the distribution goes smoothly.

Berame has also not confirmed how much the senior citizens will be receiving this month as Chan himself has not announced the amount yet.

However, based on the previous year, senior citizens received P3,500 in June and another P3,500 in December.

Berame asks for the patience and understanding of senior citizens pertaining to the slight delay but she assures them that they will receive the cash assistance soon. (GCM / CBQ)