Makati releases midyear cash gift for senior citizens

The City Government of Makati will start releasing today, June 5, the first half of the cash gift for 52,482 senior citizens of Makati who are registered BLU Card members, including the additional stipend for those aged 70 years old and above.

Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin S. Binay said with the passage of City Ordinance No. 2012-017, the cash incentive for senior citizens 70 to79 years old has been increased to P3,000, and to P4,000 for those who are 80 years old and above. For beneficiaries aged 60 to 69, Binay said they will still get the usual P2,000-cash gift.

Binay said the cash gift, given in two equal instalments every June and December, is just one of the benefits being enjoyed by elderly residents of the city. Launched in December 2003, the program aims to provide timely financial assistance to senior citizens for their daily needs, such as food and medicine.

"As the elderly become more vulnerable to illness as they grow older, we saw it fit to increase the cash incentive being given to them to help augment their budget for their medical needs," Binay said.

The city government also looks out for the welfare of the elderly through establishing facilities dedicated to their exclusive use. Last Friday, June 1, Binay inaugurated the city's Elderly Wellness Center located at Brgy. Tejeros to augment the medical services provided by the health centers and Ospital ng Makati.

Makati Social Welfare Department (MSWD) chief and acting City Administrator Marjorie De Veyra said the first batch of senior citizens to claim their mid-year bonus today are residents of Barangays Cembo, Valenzuela, San Lorenzo, Magallanes, and San Miguel Village.

She said the rest can claim their cash incentive allowance in their respective barangays from 9am to 4pm on the following dates: June 6 (Wednesday) in Barangays Dasmariñas, Forbes Park, La Paz Covered Court, Poblacion Covered Court, and Pinagkaisahan; June 7 (Thursday) in Barangays Comembo Covered Court, Kasilawan, San Isidro, Pitogo, and Pembo Covered Court; June 8 (Friday) in Barangays Urdaneta, Southside, Northside Cash Division, Carmona, and Palanan Covered Court.

The distribution of cash incentives will resume on June 11 (Monday), in Barangays Guadalupe Viejo, Bel-Air, and South Cembo, Olympia, and Guadalupe Nuevo Covered Courts; June 19 (Tuesday) in Barangays West Rembo Covered Court, Singkamas and Tejeros Elderly Wellness Center; June 20 (Wednesday) in Brgy. San Antonio Covered Court, Bangkal, East Rembo Covered Court and Rizal; and June 21 (Thursday) in Barangays Sta. Cruz and Pio del Pilar Koliseyum ng Bayan.

De Veyra said that unclaimed cash gifts on the scheduled dates will have four working days within which they can be claimed at the 3rd Floor, Cash Division of Makati City Hall.

According to her, the first batch of beneficiaries who will receive their cash gift this June includes those with BLU Card applications filed on or before April 16, 2012, while the second batch, who will be eligible to receive their allowance in July and August this year, filed their applications from April 17 to June 30, 2012.

In cases when a BLU Card holder-senior citizen is bedridden, disabled or confined in a hospital, an authorized representative whose name appears at the back of the BLU Card is allowed to claim the benefit on his o/her behalf with a medical certificate as proof of their condition. Authorization forms are available at the MSWD office at the fifth floor, new Makati City Hall.

On the other hand, senior citizens who are out-of-town or abroad during the distribution of the cash gifts are not entitled to claim the said benefit, and authorization presented by a representative will not be honored by the Cash Department.

Under the Makati BLU Card program for senior citizens launched in June 2002, the beneficiaries of a cardholder are given financial assistance of P3,000 upon his or her death. - makati.gov.ph — ARA