The Makati City government on Thursday announced it has started distributing year-end cash gifts to more than 79,000 senior citizens in time for the holiday season.
The senior citizens, who are beneficiaries of the city’s Blu Card program, will be receiving cash gifts on scheduled dates from Nov. 23 until Dec. 11, 2017.
The Blu Card holders get the annual gift corresponding to their age categories as follows: Beneficiaries 60 to 69 years old will receive P1,500; 70-79 years old, P2,000; and 80-89 years old, P2,500.
This year, the city government allocated P326.2 million for the cash gifts to seniors and centenarians. It is given in two equal installments every June and December.
“We dearly love our elderly Makatizens and we remain committed to giving them a happy life in every way possible. We hope that the cash gift benefit will help defray their expenses for day-to-day needs,” said Mayor Abigail Binay.
The program was launched in 2002 initially to provide financial assistance worth P3,000 to beneficiaries of a Blu Card holder upon his or her demise. It was expanded in 2003 to include financial assistance in the form of a cash gift to augment their budget for daily needs like food and medicine through City Ordinance No. һ2003-058.
Upon the initiative of Mayor Binay, members of the City Council approved late last year City Ordinance 2016-A-043, granting an additional P1,000 to the annual cash gift of Blu Card holders.
City social welfare department chief Ryan Barcelo said Blu Card holders from barangays Bel-Air, Southside and Sta. Cruz on Thursday got their cash gift at their respective barangay halls.
At the same date and time, the distribution of cash gift for beneficiaries from La Paz and Valenzuela was at their covered courts. For barangay Kasilawan, the venue will be at the covered court of barangay Carmona.
Today, the distribution for barangays Pitogo, San Lorenzo, Pinagkaisahan, Carmona and Singkamas will take place at their barangay halls, while it will be done at the Elderly Wellness Center for the beneficiaries from Tejeros.
Beneficiaries from barangays Olympia (covered court) and Bangkal (barangay hall) are slated on Nov. 27 and 28, while those from barangays Comembo and East Rembo can claim their cash gift at their respective covered courts on Nov. 29.
On Dec. 1 and 2, the distribution will be done at the barangay hall of barangay Rizal and at the covered court of barangay Poblacion.
The distribution from barangay Pembo will take place at their covered court on Dec. 4 and 5 while recipients from barangay Guadalupe Nuevo can get their cash gift at their covered court on Dec. 4, while beneficiaries from barangay West Rembo can claim theirs at their covered court on Dec. 5.
On Dec. 6, the covered courts of barangays South Cembo and San Antonio will be the venue of the cash gift distribution while covered court of barangay Palanan and barangay hall of barangay Guadalupe Viejo will be the venue on Dec. 7.
On Dec. 8, the distribution for barangays Dasmariñas, Cembo and San Isidro will be at their respective barangay halls. For barangay Northside, it will be done at the Makati City Hall Building II.
Blu Card holders from barangays Magallanes, Urdaneta and Forbes Park can claim their cash gift at their respective barangay halls on Dec. 9. Beneficiaries from barangay Pio del Pilar can get theirs at their covered court on Dec. 9 and 11.
In claiming the cash gift, beneficiaries who are unable to come in person can send their duly authorised representative whose name appears at the back of the BLU Card to the Cash Division at the 3rd floor of Makati City Hall. The representative should be able to present a medical certificate as proof of the beneficiaries’ condition, whether bedridden, disabled or confined in a hospital.
Authorization forms are available at the social welfare office at the fifth floor of Makati City Hall. On the other hand, senior citizens who are out-of-town or abroad during the distribution of the cash gift are not entitled to claim said benefit, and authorization presented by a representative will not be honored by the Cash Division.
Blu card holders who have passed on the 16th of November onwards will still be entitled to the yearend cash gift.
The Senior Citizen’s National ID card, also known as the White card or any other Senior Citizen’s card will be honored provided that the senior citizen claims his or her cash gift personally.
Beneficiaries or designated representatives who will not be able to claim their cash gifts on the scheduled date will be given four working days to claim the cash gift at the Ground Floor of the Makati City Hall Building II.