THE OFFICE of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) revealed that the distribution of the 2023 Annual Subsidy for the elderly in the city would resume in the first quarter of 2024.
OSCA assistant head Wendelino Enocida said the subsidy was supposed to be distributed every November of every year as stipulated in the Implementing Rules and Regulations in Ordinance 0954-22, or “The Amended Annual Financial Assistance to All Qualified Senior Citizens Ordinance of Davao City.”
Enocida said cash grants were given to qualified recipients in 2022 but there were delays in cleansing the records.
“The record for the qualified senior citizens was not updated where some deceased recipients are still on the list,” he said during the Davao City Disaster Radio on Dec 29.
Enocida added the office, along with the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), reevaluated the beneficiaries’ master list in Nov 2023, leaving them with insufficient time for the cash grant release.
Qualified beneficiaries are those 60 years old and above and a bonafide resident of the city. The age bracket was lowered to 60 from 65 in 2022.
All qualified senior citizens shall be entitled to a P1,500 annual subsidy each to assist in their necessities such as food, medical expenses, and other health essentials.
During the “Madayaw Davao” Dec. 27 episode, CSWDO OIC Julie Dayaday advised seniors to wait for the posting of payout schedules for every barangay.
Dayaday said they prioritized those who live in far-flung barangays such as in the districts of Tugbok, Paquibato, Marilog, and Calinan. As a result, downtown residents will have to wait for a while.
As of Dec. 27, some 29,845 out of the target 170,000 already received the subsidy. The official said the remaining 140,155 seniors will be given once the payout resumes on Jan. 2.
