• CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
An ordinance granting a birthday cash gift to senior citizens of Bacolod City was passed by the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod on third and final reading Monday.
The ordinance authored by Councilor Em Ang and co-authored by Councilors Dindo Ramos, Celia Matea Flor, Roberto Rojas, and Caesar Distrito, said it is the city’s duty to promote the welfare and well-being of its senior citizens and ensure that their dignity and rights are respected.
Granting cash birthday gifts to senior citizens is a gesture of appreciation for their dedication and service to the community, it said.
All senior citizens (60 years old and above), who are registered voters and residents of Bacolod City for at least one year prior to their birthday, will be eligible to receive a birthday gift of P1,000 in cash on their birthday, the ordinance said.
The eligibility of beneficiaries will be subject to verification and screening by the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) in coordination with the respective barangay and the City Social Services and Development Office (CSSDO) to ensure that only qualified senior citizens are included in the master list of beneficiaries, it said.
Beneficiaries must be a registered voter and resident of Bacolod City for not less than one year prior to his/her birthday; must not be earning more than P60,000 per year, either as salary, pension, or business profit, or a combination of these, at the time of his/her birthday; he/she must be a member of OSCA and is a holder of a valid Senior Citizen Identification Card, the ordinance said.
The Office of the City Treasurer, in coordination with the OSCA, is mandated to adopt the necessary implementing rules and regulations within 90 days from the approval of the ordinance for its efficient implementation, and to report the same to the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
The payout of the birthday cash gift will be made through the respective barangays where the qualified senior citizen resides, subject to existing auditing, accounting, and liquidation procedures. Barangay officials will coordinate with OSCA in the orderly distribution and submission of reports to the City Treasurer’s Office.
The necessary funding requirement in order to effectively implement the objective of this ordinance will be appropriated and the same will be taken from the Annual General Appropriations or from any available funds of the city, subject to existing auditing and accounting rules and regulations.
The City Budget Office will ensure that the funding requirement is incorporated in the Annual Investment Program (AIP) and reflected in the Annual Budget of the city prior to implementation.*
