SOME private individuals were seen supervising the distribution of financial assistance to qualified senior citizens in Cebu City yesterday.
Although the cash was distributed in public places like schools and gyms, barangay officials and disbursing officers from different departments of City Hall worked with some private individuals designated to oversee the flow of yesterday’s activity.
In Barangay Basak San Nicolas, lawyer Reymelio Delute was the one supervising the distribution of cash aid in the Don Vicente Rama Memorial National School. Delute was the lawyer whose case against the distribution of calamity aid by City Hall in 2013 led to the suspension of several officials, including then mayor Michael Rama.
In an interview, Delute said yesterday’s distribution went well even if there was an initial opposition from Basak Pardo Barangay Captain Dodong Cagang while they were arranging the chairs in the distribution area.
Seniors from Barangays Basak Pardo and Basak San Nicolas claimed their P2,000 financial assistance in Basak National High School and Don Vicente Rama Memorial National School, respectively.
Delute said they pushed through with the distribution as they had already obtained permission from the principal to use the school for the activity.
New venue
“As usual naa’y mga ginagmayng problema pero systematic man. Among gi-assign among mga movers sa pagtagbo kung unsa ilang numbers. Updated na man ang list sa seniors, number na lang ang tawgon (As usual, there were some minor problems but it was systematic, overall. We had assigned movers to meet the seniors and get their numbers. The list of seniors was updated. All we had to do was call out their numbers),” Delute said.
However, Basak San Nicolas Barangay Captain Norman Navarro said he had not been informed nor consulted about the venue. It used to be done in the barangay gym.
Although he found no problem with the change of venue, Navarro said it would been better if he and the other barangay officials had been consulted so they could guide the seniors.
“Okay raman mi nga sila ni himo sa distribution. Ang ako lang, wala mi nila gipahibawo asa. Amo na giandam ang naandan sa una nga sa gym. Maayo didto pahimutang mga seniors (It’s fine with me that City Hall asked other people to distribute the aid. But it would have been good if they had told us where it would be done. We had prepared the gym. As usual. At least there, the seniors can be more comfortable),” he said.
Some of the seniors complained yesterday because they had no idea where the venue was.
To prevent confusion, Delute’s “movers” informed and guided the seniors where to go.
In Barangay Suba, private citizen Liglig Maranggao facilitated the distribution of aid there.
In debt
In an interview, Marangga said he felt sorry for the seniors in his barangay because most of their cash aid would go directly to lenders.
Julia Coyoga, who was at the Cebu City Sports Institute yesterday where financial assistance for Barangay Suba’s seniors was distributed, said she waited for the distribution so her clients can pay back what they owed her.
Coyoca said she lends money to the seniors and in return gets their senior citizens’ ID to make sure that they can pay pack once they get their aid from the City.
She gets 10 percent of the total amount borrowed, as her fee.
About 4,200 senior citizens in Barangay Guadalupe also received yesterday the fourth tranche of their financial assistance this year from the Cebu City Government.
A total of 4,836 registered senior citizens in the village qualified to claim P2,000 each, but only 86 percent showed up.
The amount forms part of the P12,000 total financial assistance the City promised each senior citizen for this year. The City has dispensed P9.6 million for the barangay alone.
Socials
Registered for nine years now, Natividad Abayan, said that aside from using the cash aid to purchase her maintenance medicine, she leaves some of it for their association collections.
“We went to Simala the last time. We’re having a meeting after this. I use the money for leisure because moving and hanging out with people my age helps me stay strong,” the 80-year-old told Sun.Star Cebu.
Yesterday’s distribution in the village was facilitated by the Department of Public Services (DPS).
Despite being assigned to oversee the biggest barangay in the city, DPS administrative officer Agnes Guitguitin, in a separate interview, said the distribution ran smoothly.
“I think it’s because they’ve already adapted to our system. Imagine, they’re waiting outside for us to give the go signal, and yet they don’t have any qualms,” she said.
To ensure that the elderly don’t have to wait long, DPS prepared the barangay’s sports complex the day before the distribution.
While the schedule for distribution was set at 8 a.m., DPS started distributing as early as 6:30 a.m. so the seniors wouldn’t have to wait too long.
Delivery
The DPS designated 25 disbursing officers, each assigned to assist 200 senior citizens. DPS also tapped some barangay personnel for added assistance.
Guitguitin, however, clarified, that despite the successful distribution, there are still areas that need improvement.
She pointed to the need for house-to-house delivery of cash aid to bedridden senior citizens.
“We can’t do it immediately because of the number of senior citizens we have. That’s why it needs to be scheduled. If it is, we have to decide when to go...do we do it once or by batch?” she said.
Another concern is on newly registered senior citizens whose names have not yet been included in the payroll made by the Office of the Senior Citizens’ Affairs (OSCA).
One senior, Rose, was denied cash aid because her name did not appear on the list. She had her senior’s ID with her.
“It’s okay. I’ll just go to OSCA on Monday as what they’ve (DPS) advised me,” she said.
In the event that an elderly fails to collect his or her cash aid on the distribution day, they can claim it from the City Treasurer’s Office.