THE Cebu City Council has approved the release of third-quarter financial aid for senior citizens, but the decision was preceded by sharp questions from the minority bloc over the sudden increase and subsequent drop in the number of beneficiaries.
During the council’s regular session on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, Minority Floor Leader Councilor Sisinio Andales flagged what he described as a suspicious shift in the City’s records — from 92,998 seniors in the first quarter, the figure swelled to 94,099 in the second quarter before sliding back to 93,037 in the third quarter.
Andales questioned the timing of the sudden increase, suggesting it may have been politically motivated. He pointed out that the surge happened just ahead of the May 2025 midterm elections.
“Why was there a sudden increase? Just because it was election time?” he asked.
He recalled that when former councilor Lea Japson handled the matter, there were only about 70,000 listed seniors, with strict rules for admission.
Councilor Pastor “Jun” Alcover said fluctuations are expected because of deaths or changes in the master list.
He said if the distributions had been done strictly on a monthly basis, the data would have been clearer. Alcover said the timely release of aid should be the main concern.
Despite the exchange, the council approved Councilor Dave Tumulak’s resolution authorizing the release of P11.4 million to cover the third-quarter assistance.
The approval ensures that 93,037 senior citizens will receive their long-awaited P3,000 lump-sum aid by the third week of September, as earlier promised by Mayor Nestor Archival.
Archival earlier assured seniors they would receive their three months’ worth of aid this September, promising that another distribution would follow in December without delay.
While the council secured the payout, it left unresolved concerns about how the City manages its list of senior citizens, an issue that is expected to influence future debates on the program’s integrity and sustainability.
Senior Citizens Affairs (Osca) officer-in-charge Teresita Fernandez explained to the council that the increase in second-quarter beneficiaries reflected admissions approved by the previous administration, while the decline in the third quarter followed a “cleansing” of the payroll.
She said they removed 1,062 beneficiaries who were already deceased, and no new names were added due to a budget deficit of P11.3 million.
Fernandez clarified that she only assumed office on July 11 and inherited the irregularities from the previous administration.
Councilor Franklyn Ong urged the Osca to present a clearer breakdown of shortfalls and revisit the policy.
Ong said the City cannot deprive senior citizens of aid simply because of budget shortfalls. He emphasized that it is high time to review the assistance program to ensure fairness. / CAV