‘Seniors’ Membership Shrinking,’ City to Enforce Monitoring

The Cebu City government is strictly evaluating all senior citizens applications, whose member records, according to authorities, are relatively shrinking from over 60,000 last year to 56,000 this year.

Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Ester Concha of the Department of Social Welfare and Services in Cebu City, during the Kapihan sa PIA on Tuesday, cited some reasons why there were some senior citizens who were taken out from the master lists of the Office of the Senior Citizens Association (OSCA).

Concha said the reason was that they found out that some of them are not really residing in this area. She explained that even if they are Cebu City voters but are not permanently living here, they will be “outrightly” disqualified from the senior citizens’ rooster.

Pertaining to the privileges provided by the government to them (seniors), Mayor Michael Rama has opted to give them P12,000 cash assistance this year, Concha explained.

But the schedule on the next payment is not yet provided by the office of the mayor, Concha said.

All qualified senior citizens have already received a total of P6,000 cash assistance which were given in three equal installments from January to July this year, so the remaining balance of P6,000 will be given either in two installments or just once, before this year ends, according to Concha.

“This is a mere privilege given by the city government to all seniors, and walay utang ang gobyerno kanila so they will have to patiently wait when they will receive the balance of their cash assistance for this year,” Concha said.

Meanwhile, there are four major activities of Cebu City senior citizens within this month starting October 1-31, Focal Person of Senior Citizens, Flora Baring, said.

Baring said this is in relation to the whole month celebration of Senior Citizens Month which was launched last October 1, and on October 11.

The senior citizens organization recommended 4 others who were shortlisted to possibly replace outgoing OSCA President Oscar Llaguno, who retired from his duty on said date.

Baring added that on October 28, there will be a cultural presentation of senior citizens in time of the birthday celebration of Mayor Rama.

According to Baring, folk dance contest is one of the special presentations during the mayor’s birthday, and the winner will be awarded on October 31, the culmination day of the whole month senior citizens celebration, Baring added.