Mabatid to focus on health, elderly

CEBU, Philippines — Once she assumes office on June 30, Cebu City councilor-elect Prisca Niña Mabatid wants to craft legislations that would double the cash assistance for senior citizens and offering health insurance to the public.

During the #CebuVote Conversation with Mabatid yesterday, she said these are her priority legislations as soon as she sits as among the newly-elected north district councilor of the city.

Cebu Vote is an online page of The FREEMAN and Banat News which features interview series with the elected officials in the recent May 13 elections.

Mabatid said the constituents of the city need these kinds of services from the city government.

She said the existing P12,000 financial aid for the qualified elderlies is not enough to cover the necessary expenses. She wants to increase it to P24,000 a year.

In accordance with the City Ordinance No. 2453 or “The Annual Financial Assistance to All Qualified Senior Citizens of Cebu City Ordinance”, the city government allotted P12,000 to every elderly at P1,000 per month.

“I want to focus on the senior citizens kay they deserve the utmost attention, luoy kaayo ang mga tiguwang. Kulang ra gyud na ang financial assistance,” Mabatid said.

Aside from that, she planned to lower the age requirement of giving P100,000 to seniors, from 100 years old to 80 years old.

For the health insurance, Mabatid said it is important to give that service to the people in order to help them in the hospital expense and in order to decongest public hospitals.

In the insurance, all holders are allowed to avail of hospitalization services in any private-owned hospitals in the city.

In fact, she shared that it is not her first time to introduce it, since she has been offering the health insurance to her employees in her private business.

“All they have to do is to pay P10,000 as yearly contributions, then after that tagaan na sila og health card. Ang coverage ana is P100,000 to P150,000. Pwede naka magpa-admit to any hospitals, private room imoha gihigdaan. Inig gawas nimo sa hospital wala ka’y mabayran nga maski P1,” Mabatid said.

With her plans in the City Council, she is hopeful that the other members of the legislative body would support her in passing these legislations.

Mabatid landed in the second spot as city councilor in the north district, earning 113,908 votes.

Mabatid is among the members of the minority bloc, Partido-Barug PDP Laban, who will be sitting along with other six councilors.

The majority bloc is with the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) councilors with 11 members. — GAN (FREEMAN)