Legazpi gives seniors, drivers P30M cash aid

By Cet Dematera

Some 18,500 seniors duly registered at the Legazpi City’s Office of the Senior Citizen Affairs Office (OSCA) and 2,500 tricycle drivers who are being affected by the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic already received P1,500 and P1,000 each, respectively, with the total disbursed amount of P30.45-million.

Mayor Noel E. Rosal said on Tuesday, Sept. 28, that the financial assistance of the city government to the seniors and tricycle drivers was aimed to cushion the impact of the pandemic to these vulnerable sectors.

“The government is duty bound to help these vulnerable sectors. Our seniors had already made their contribution to our society long before. And the tricycle drivers are our indispensable partners in our economic and social engagements every day,” Rosal said.

He explained the pay-out materialized after the city council had approved Resolution No. 15-0290-2021 allocating cash assistance amounting to P30.45-million for the OSCA-member seniors and tricycle drivers in order to lessen the burden being brought to their livelihood by the still existing virus.

“We want to commend the city council for passing such resolution that allowed the handing of cash assistance to these sectors of our society,” Rosal said.

OSCA head Wilfredo “Pecos “ Intia in a separate interview said that the cash aid has distributed in the every barangay through the help of the Barangay Association of Senior Citizens Affairs (BASCA) and the personnel of the City Treasurer’s Office (CTO) in order to avoid breaching of the health and safety protocols, particularly the social distancing.

“Even in the distribution of this cash assistance, we need to observe the protocols, particularly on social distancing to avoid potential spread of the virus,” Pecos said.

Bagacay Barangay chief Julian Ariola said that he was very grateful to the effort of the city government to give the senior citizens financial aid that could augment in the purchase of their maintenance medicines.

Ariola said the financial assistance is very important to senior citizens especially those who have no regular income.

“This (cash aid) is already a big help to us, more so to those who do not have regular source of income anymore,” Ariola added.

Councilor Al Barizo, chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Public Utility, on the other hand, said the payout is part of the support to the tricycle drivers who are encountering financial difficulties due to the limited number of passengers per trip as mandated in health protocol to control the spread of virus in the community.