CEBU City Mayor Nestor Archival has turned down a proposal to increase financial aid for senior citizens. He says the city must first find the money to help thousands of seniors who are still waiting to join the program.
Currently, Cebu City seniors receive P1,000 a month, or P12,000 a year. Mayor Archival pointed out that this is already one of the highest amounts in the country. The program costs the city about P1.4 billion out of its P13-billion budget.
“Before we talk about increasing the amount, we have to look at the seniors who have not yet received any assistance,” Archival said during an interview on SunStar’s Beyond the Headline.
The city already helps around 100,000 seniors who registered as voters in 2013 and earlier. However, there are more than 30,000 newer seniors who have applied but haven't received any money yet.
The mayor’s decision is a response to Councilor Sisinio Andales, who wanted to raise the yearly aid to P15,000. Andales argued that prices for food and medicine are going up, making it harder for seniors to get by. But Mayor Archival believes it is unfair to give more money to some while others get nothing.
“If we increase the assistance now, the problem is that some seniors... will not receive anything. That is not fair,” the Mayor explained.
The mayor warned that the city’s actual collected money is often much lower than the official budget. He says the city simply cannot spend more than it has. Any future raises will depend on businesses growing and the city collecting more taxes.
Archival also defended the rule of giving out the money every month. This helps the city spot "ghost" beneficiaries—people who are on the list but don't actually live in Cebu City. Right now, there are 130,000 names on the list, and some may be living elsewhere.
By giving the money monthly, the city can see who shows up. If someone misses three months in a row, they are removed from the list. This opens up spots for the 30,000 people currently waiting.
The mayor did not give a specific date for when the aid might increase. For now, the city’s main goal is making sure every eligible senior gets their fair share before anyone gets a raise.