Mayor Edgardo Labella recently signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) for the issuance of cash cards to be used in the distribution of financial aid to senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs).
The government depository, represented by LBP-Cebu Branch vice president Vivian Bisnar, is expected to distribute the cash cards by the end of this year.
Once realized, the city government’s regular financial assistance to the seniors and PWDs will be coursed through these cards.
Also, Labella issued Executive Order 96, setting the guidelines for this new mode of the City Hall’s financial aid distribution.
“The cash cards will be released and delivered to the residences of the beneficiaries.”
“The cash cards will be released and delivered to the residences of the beneficiaries on a schedule set by our Department of Social Welfare Services,” the mayor said. “Beneficiaries will now be able to withdraw their monetary aid using the cash card, or buy in certain establishments authorizing its use.”
The senior citizens and PWDs will have to update their personal data through the City Hall’s official website (www.cebucity.gov.ph) and proceed to the “Update Beneficiary Record” menu under “Online Services,” he said.
Those who do not have internet connection can seek help from personnel of the city’s DSWS who will visit their residences for data updating.
Labella noted the need to devise such system for the financial aid distribution especially amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis.
“The cash card will avoid the situation wherein the personnel of the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs will have to bring thousands, even millions of cash to the barangays for distribution.”
“The cash card will avoid the situation wherein the personnel of the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) will have to bring thousands, even millions of cash to the barangays for distribution,” he said.
In the past months, the city government had done a house-to-house distribution of the financial assistance to the seniors and PWDs as they are not allowed to go out during the community quarantine.
Seniors and PWDs in Cebu City receive a monthly cash aid of P1,000 each.