Japson: Include other seniors in aid

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Councilor Lea Japson yesterday said the executive department should consider including the at least 10,000 senior citizens registered from 2011 to 2013 to receive their share of the senior citizen financial assistance in accordance with the approval of the ordinance.

Japson raised the issue as the city deliberated on the P455.6 million aid earmarked for the senior citizens.

Japson said lawyer Jose Daluz III, special assistant to the mayor, relayed that he has yet to discuss the matter with Mayor Edgardo Labella since the executive department has only considered the existing 75,000 senior citizens who have voted in the elections since 2010.

During the budget hearing yesterday, Japson also raised her queries on the sources of fund for the P2.5 billion Supplemental Budget-2.

The executive department proposed to use P2.19 billion from the lot payment of SM Prime Holdings Inc. and P333 million from lot payment of Cebu Holdings Inc. and P8 million returned financial assistance of barangay Basak San Nicolas.

Budget Officer Marietta Gumia said the city has no other funds that could be used to fund the second SB this year.

In the previous years, Gumia said, the city realigned the budget to fund the supplemental budget.  But she said the funds that can be realigned have been depleted already.

The council’s committee on budget and finance has yet to issue its committee report and budget ordinance before the P2.5 billion SB-2 will be approved. — JMD (FREEMAN)