Cebu City forfeits unclaimed P5.2M cash aid for its seniors

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Government has forfeited P5.2 million in financial aid for seniors during a recent distribution after the supposed beneficiaries did not claim the amount.

Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs records showed that for the Cebu City north district, 1,391 elderly did not claim their cash aid amounting to P2.78 million.

On the other hand, there were 1,225 seniors who did not get their money amounting to P2.45M.  Distribution of the cash aid started last August 16 and ended September 9, with each senior citizens receiving P2,000.

Rolando Llaguno, Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs chief, said that based on their guidelines, unclaimed cash is forfeited 15 working days from the distribution schedule.

” It (the forfeited money) will go back to the general fund,” he said.

Eirah Faye Castañares, local revenue officer III, earlier said that those who were not able to claim their cash aid possibly died already.

“Naay uban nga namatay na, out of the country or out of town and uban, or nowhere to find gyud, so di ta makapugos nila,” she said.

Llaguno also said there are senior citizens who are not living in the city anymore.

For the recent distribution, the city government allotted P178 million.

Llaguno also emphasized that those who fail to claim their money for three straight time would be removed from the master list.

“There are those who have not claimed their financial assistance for three consecutive times. All those will be deleted in the list. They are disqualified. Dili na sila maapil sa sunod nga payroll. They have to re-apply,” he said.

May this year, around P5 million in cash assistance for senior citizens was also forfeited for the same reason.

Including the recent distribution, the city government has already distributed P5,000 of the P6,000 the city promised to give to around 58,000 registered seniors.

Llaguno did not mention when the city government will give the remaining P1,000 to the senior citizens.

City Administrator Lucelle Mercado earlier said there is a possibility that Mayor Michael Rama’s promise to give a total of P12,000 cash aid, half of it in kind, would be pursued since the city has the money.

“Of course, agad-agaron sad nato atoang budget pero so far wala ta maghuna-huna ana nga dili na ihatag (we take into consideration the budget but we are not thinking of not giving the assistance),” she earlier said.  — (FREEMAN)