The Sangguniang Panlungsod of Bacolod has unanimously approved Jan. 21 a resolution urging the Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD), the Office for Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA), and the Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO), through Mayor Greg Gasataya, to increase to P1,000 the monthly allowance of presidents of senior citizen and PWD associations in Bacolod.
Bacolod has 74 senior citizen association presidents and 42 PWD association presidents, all of whom serve as key coordinators and representatives of their respective organizations at the barangay and city levels, the resolution, authored by councilors Caesar Distrito and Celia Matea Flor, said.
“This is a recognition of our working presidents, who serve as frontliners in the communities,” Distrito, chairperson of the SP Committee on PWD Affair, stressed in a statement Jan. 22. “They help coordinate activities, assist members with documentation and concerns, attend official meetings, and facilitate information dissemination, often using their own limited resources just to perform their duties.”
Flor, chairperson of the SP Committee on Senior Citizens, said the increase in the monthly allowance, from P500 to P1,000, “is timely, given the rising costs of transportation and basic commodities.”
These leaders regularly attend meetings, orientations, consultations, and official activities called by OSCA, PDAO, DSSD, and other offices, she noted. “The current allowance is mostly spent on transportation and incidental expenses. Increasing this support will help them sustain their participation and continue serving their members effectively.”
The resolution highlights the critical role played by barangay-based association leaders in ensuring that government programs and services reach senior citizens and persons with disabilities efficiently, Distrito said.
“Raising the allowance will strengthen community-based leadership, improve coordination between the city government and sectoral organizations, and enhance the delivery of social services for senior citizens and PWDs across Bacolod,” he added. ||
