THE proposed amending ordinance to the one-time cash gift for eligible senior citizens in Cebu City is now on its second reading and garnering favorable reception from the city council, a local legislator said.
Cebu City Councilor Pastor “Jun” Alcover, senior citizens committee chairman and author of the proposed amendment to the City Ordinance 2235 or “An Ordinance Conferring the Centenary Senior Citizens’ Award to Qualified Senior Citizens on October of Each Year,” expressed confidence that final deliberation is imminent within the next couple of months.
“Possibly mga three months from now atong matan-aw kung unsa nay decision pero tan-aw nako mga kasturya sa konsehal pabor man sila atong ipasakaan g’yud ang amendment,” said Alcover.
(Possibly, about three months from now, we will see what decision will be made, but from what I see, most of the councilors seem to be in favor of passing the amendment.)
After the second reading, it will undergo the third and final reading which will be signed by various officials for approval.
Under the current ordinance, senior citizens are eligible to receive a one-time cash benefit of only P5,000 upon reaching their 80th year, an additional P15,000 upon reaching their 90th year, and the remaining P80,000 upon reaching 100, totaling P100,000.
The amendments to the one-time cash gift distribution for centennial senior citizens will change the amount of the one-time cash benefit to P25,000 during a senior citizen’s 80th birthday, another P25,000 during his 90th birthday, and the remaining balance of P50,000 upon reaching 100 years old.
Alcover said the process will take time as the council is currently reviewing other proposed ordinances and resolutions. However, he reiterated that the other councilors are supportive of the proposed amendments.
He said the purpose of the ordinance is to help senior citizens who require financial aid for various expenses, including medication maintenance. Alcover said the senior citizens he has spoken with believe that the proposed changes will have a significant impact on their finances.
Alcover said despite the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs having a list of senior citizens, there are still those who have not yet registered due to the lack of awareness, especially since not all senior citizens are into social media and with some who are residing in far-flung barangays.
Alcover said once the amendment is in effect, the senior citizen’s committee will conduct an information drive to inform senior citizens covered by the amended ordinance.
“Atong i-reach out sila na malista g’yud sila para maka avail sila. So, atong paningkamutan g’yud na ma reach out nato uban mga seniors na wa kabalo,” said Alcover.
(We will contact seniors who are not aware to ensure they are listed and can avail themselves of the benefits.) / RJM