THOUSANDS of senior citizens in Cebu City will receive a partial cash assistance payout of P1,000 on Saturday, March 28, 2026, as delays stall the local government’s return to a quarterly distribution system.
Although the City Council has approved an ordinance restoring quarterly releases, Mayor Nestor Archival has yet to receive the measure for review and signature, delaying its implementation.
As a result, the City will proceed with a P1,000 payout which is equivalent to one month’s allocation, instead of the expected P3,000 lump sum under the quarterly scheme.
Archival confirmed he has not received a copy of the ordinance approved during the council’s March 19 session.
The measure seeks to revert the financial aid distribution for senior citizens from monthly to quarterly, amending City Ordinance 2453 and 2579.
Until it is formally transmitted, signed, and published, the city remains in a transitional phase, leaving beneficiaries to cope with partial releases.
The program provides qualified senior citizens with P12,000 annually.
Archival acknowledged the delay reflects ongoing logistical challenges in serving a growing number of beneficiaries, now estimated at over 90,000.
Councilor Pastor Alcover Jr., who pushed for the amendment, said the shift back to quarterly payouts aims to streamline operations and reduce administrative strain.
Under the proposed system, disbursement will be handled by the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs in coordination with the City Treasurer’s Office, the Department of Social Welfare and Services, and the City Accounting Office.
Barangays will be notified at least a week in advance, with payouts distributed locally by authorized disbursing officers.
The delay follows internal discussions within City Hall on whether to adopt monthly payouts. While the mayor earlier proposed smaller, more frequent releases to help seniors manage daily expenses, the council retained the quarterly system due to operational constraints.
Alcover said monthly payouts would significantly increase the workload of City personnel, including payroll preparation and field deployment. He added that senior citizens’ groups also prefer quarterly releases to minimize travel and transportation costs.
For now, the resumption of quarterly payouts depends on the ordinance’s transmission to the mayor’s office. / CAV