More ‘humane, compassionate’ seniors cash aid distribution policy sought

Local

A CEBU City councilor has urged Mayor Nestor Archival to reconsider the newly imposed safeguards on the city’s senior citizens’ financial assistance program.

He argued that stricter documentary requirements could unfairly burden elderly beneficiaries and undermine the program’s social welfare objectives.

In a privilege speech delivered during the City Council’s regular session on Tuesday, June 16, Councilor Pastor Alcover Jr. called for a more “humane and compassionate” implementation of Executive Order (EO) No. 077, which governs the release of financial assistance to senior citizens beginning June 19.

Alcover, who chairs the council’s Committee on Senior Citizen Affairs and is himself a senior citizen, said the city must balance fraud prevention measures with the realities faced by elderly residents who depend on government assistance for basic needs.

“Government programs must always be implemented with compassion and humanity,” Alcover said while acknowledging the administration’s efforts to protect public funds from abuse.

This comes less than two weeks after Archival issued Executive Order No. 077, which restored the city’s quarterly payout scheme but introduced tighter claiming requirements for beneficiaries.

Among the new rules are the mandatory presentation of original Office for Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) identification cards, a 10-day claiming period, stricter validation procedures, and tighter restrictions on who may receive the assistance.

The executive order also directs disbursing officers to withhold payments when discrepancies are found between a beneficiary’s OSCA identification number and payroll records. Seniors who lose their identification cards must first secure replacements or certifications before claiming assistance.

Alcover argued that such requirements could unintentionally exclude legitimate beneficiaries, particularly those who have lost or damaged their IDs or whose records contain minor inconsistencies.

“A lost identification card should not become a reason to deprive a qualified senior citizen of assistance,” he said.

The councilor emphasized that many elderly residents rely almost entirely on government support and should not be denied benefits because of technical issues that can be reasonably verified through official records.

He proposed allowing alternative forms of verification, including government-issued identification cards, barangay certifications, and official certifications from OSCA confirming a beneficiary’s identity and registration number.

According to Alcover, an OSCA certification should be considered sufficient authority for the release of assistance when a senior citizen no longer possesses a valid physical ID or when discrepancies arise between identification records and payroll data.

He noted that national government programs already employ similar practices.

“For the record, the Department of Social Welfare and Development recognizes various government-issued identification cards for purposes of claiming the monthly social pension,” Alcover said.

He described the policy as a practical approach that maintains safeguards while ensuring access to benefits.

The councilor stressed that senior citizens should not automatically be treated as potential fraudsters simply because verification issues arise.

“Kinahanglan nga magbantay kita batok sa mga malimbongon, apan dili usab nato angay isipon nga ang matag senior citizen usa ka potensyal nga manlimbong,” he said.

EO No. 077 was issued as part of the city’s effort to restore quarterly distributions of financial assistance amounting to P3,000 per quarter, equivalent to P12,000 annually.

The order also institutionalizes several anti-fraud measures long advocated by the mayor, including direct beneficiary validation, stricter monitoring of payouts, and photographic documentation for house-to-house distribution to bedridden seniors.

The safeguards reflect Archival’s earlier opposition to allowing family members to claim assistance on behalf of incapacitated or absent beneficiaries.

Earlier this year, the City Council approved amendments to the senior citizens’ assistance ordinance that would have permitted family-assisted claims in certain circumstances.

Archival vetoed the provision, arguing it could create opportunities for abuse and expose public funds to misuse.

The City Legal Office later upheld the veto, saying the mayor’s action was legally valid and consistent with accountability requirements.

Despite backing the goal of protecting public funds, Alcover said the city should adopt supplemental guidelines that would give implementing agencies greater flexibility in accommodating qualified beneficiaries who encounter documentation issues.

He urged the Office of the Mayor to review the executive order and consider a more liberal interpretation of the requirements governing the release of senior citizens’ assistance.

The councilor likewise moved for copies of his privilege speech and proposed resolution to be furnished to the Office of the Mayor, OSCA, and the Association of Barangay Councils for information and guidance.(TGP)