CEBU City Mayor Nestor Archival is proposing to change the distribution of financial aid for senior citizens from quarterly releases to a monthly schedule.
Archival, in a press conference on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, said the quarterly distribution costs more than giving it monthly.
His proposal is to give financial assistance to qualified senior assistance every end of the month.
Archival, however, said this change needs approval of the Cebu City Council.
Qualified senior citizens are entitled to P1,000 cash aid monthly or P3,000 in each quarter.
He said the existing City Ordinance 2453, or the ordinance providing for annual financial aid to senior citizens, also limits the qualified beneficiaries to only those registered in 2023.
He said following the removal of deceased beneficiaries from the master list, there is a possibility that those registered in 2024 can now be included in the list.
Distribution
The release of the financial assistance amounting to P11 million will roll out after its approval was delayed after some councilors questioned the accuracy of the master list.
The distribution at the barangay level will run from Sept. 27 to 29. It will then continue for a week at the City Hall.
The upcoming financial aid distribution covers the months of July, August, and September.
There are nearly 92,000 senior citizens in Cebu City qualified to receive the assistance.
Archival also said they will revive the Long Life Medical Assistance Program, a program which provides maintenance medicines to the senior citizens.
It was first implemented during the administration of then mayor and now Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña. It was adopted by the late mayor Edgardo Labella through the Preventative Healthcare Program. / Bryce Ken Abellon, USJ-R Intern