• CHERYL G. CRUZ
The Sangguniang Panlungsod is asking Mayor Alfredo Benitez to increase the monthly allowance of senior citizen chapter presidents, from P500 to P1,000.
“An increase in their monthly allowance to P1,000 would help alleviate the financial burden they face and incentivize the continuous improvement of services for senior citizens in each barangay,” the SP said in approving this afternoon, Oct. 4, the resolution authored by Councilor Celia Matea Flor.
Flor, chairperson of the SP Committee on Senior Citizens and Veterans Affairs, said the current allowance of P500 per month “is no longer sufficient to cover the costs associated with their increasing workload, and the rising cost of transportation and communication.”
She said this is also to compensate for their time, and to recognize their invaluable service and dedication.
“There is an urgent need to provide them with adequate financial support to ensure that they can continue to perform their duties effectively,” Flor stressed, adding the chapter president in each barangay “plays a vital role in coordinating the welfare and needs of senior citizens, including the dissemination of important information and in organizing activities that benefit the elderly population.”
The proposed increase is timely as the country observes the Elderly Filipino Week every first seven days of October, under Proclamation No. 470 of then president Fidel Ramos, to honor and appreciate the invaluable contributions of senior citizens to the country’s development, the SP said. | CGC
