THE 19th Davao City Council has approved without amendment and passed on second reading Tuesday, November 12, an ordinance that seeks to provide annual social pension to qualified senior citizens in Davao City.
But it will now only be P1,500 annually.
Councilor Wilberto Al-ag, committee chair on social service, previously announced that the Davao City Government is planning to give an annual pension of P3,000 yearly to qualified senior citizens in the city as a counterpart to the Department of Social Welfare and Development's (DSWD) yearly pension of P6,000.
Al-ag said the budget allocation of the pension will be sourced from the City Mayor's Office.
But during the Council regular session in November 5, City Budget Officer Ermelinda Furog-Gallego said Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said she is only willing to provide P1,500 annually to senior citizens.
Furog-Gallego also said the mayor also wanted to change the qualified seniors from 60 years old and above to 65 years old and above.
She also said the pension will be distributed starting on the second week of November 2020, as it will be included in the Supplemental Budget (SB) 1 next year.
Meanwhile, Councilor Ralph Abella said the City Budget Office has told them the proposed ordinance was inserted too late, and that the City cannot yet give a P3,000 annual pension.
But he said the ordinance is still subject for amendment every two years, depending on the city's income, which will be sourced from the annual SB 1.
"Karon man gud, sagunson ato expenses. Pero tan-awon nato every two years, depende kung mu-generate og income ang city. We will review the ordinance every two years," Abella said.