OSCA admits lapse before council

CEBU, Philippines - The officials of the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) in Cebu City appeared before the council yesterday and admitted their lapses when over 2,000 names of senior citizens were deleted from the list of those who will be given cash assistance by the city next month.

But OSCA head Rolando Llaguno said it was purely an “honest mistake” because of a computer glitch and one of their personnel distributed the list to the barangays without his permission.

Perla Ortega, Llaguno’s executive officer, said a certain Jessica Sable, an employee of the Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS) but is detailed with the OSCA, was the one who distributed the incomplete list of senior citizens to the barangays.

Ortega explained that OSCA personnel are not allowed to release any documents without her or Llaguno’s approval.

But Councilor Margarita “Margot” Osmeña questioned why Sable is still allowed to prepare the list of senior citizens who will be granted cash assistance on December 8 despite of the “great blunder”.

DSWS chief Ester Concha said she is leaving it to OSCA to take actions against Sable because she is still under Llaguno’s supervision even if she her assignment is DSWS.

Ortega admitted that over 2,000 names of senior citizens were deleted from the list and the four computer encoders are trying their best to restore their names in the master list.

They are hoping to complete the list today.

Concha said the final list will be submitted to her office for review and copies will then be distributed to the barangays.

Llaguno assured those who were able to collect their initial P3,000 cash assistance last June including those qualified senior citizens who submitted their applications not later than June 19, 2012 are entitled to receive another P4,000 next week.

Those who submitted applications for cash assistance beyond June 19, 2012 are not qualified to receive cash assistance this year.

There are about 63,000 senior citizens in Cebu City.  However, some are not qualified to receive cash assistance as they still have to meet the required residency period while others are not voters of Cebu City during the 2012 elections.

Meanwhile, the Cebu City Senior Citizen’s Park was formally opened Tuesday night.

“This symbolized a commitment that together we can make things happened,” said Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama during the opening of the new park.

Rama however said that the Senior Citizen’s Park is not only intended for the elderly but for all the Cebuanos.

Philantropist couple, Carlos Yeung and Mariquita Salimbangon-Yeung and other donors, senior citizens and barangay officials grace the event. —(FREEMAN)