Senior citizens in Manila have been assured they will receive their complete monthly pension, as the city government strives to complete its backlog of unissued cash cards.
The issuance of PayMaya cards for Manila senior residents was severely delayed due to quarantine protocols amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
But Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko” Domagoso vowed during the weekend the backlog of unissued cash cards will be completed before October this year.
Domagoso has ordered the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) chief Marjun Isidro to complete the backlog before the deadline.
Isidro said the turnover of the monthly pension to the city’s senior citizens will be retroactive.
They will receive their complete pension from January to October if the PayMaya cash cards will be issued in October, the OSCA chief explained.
“Our PayMaya cards got stuck owing to the pandemic. We are trying our best to complete them all before our mayor celebrates his birthday in October,” Isidro said.
“We need all the help we can get. We are dealing with almost 170,000 senior citizens, and the backlog (of unissued cash cards) is about 120,000 of the total registered seniors,” the OSCA chief added.
Isidro said his office will coordinate closely with PayMaya to erase the backlog, especially after they hand off their other databases.
During the first month of his administration, Domagoso signed Ordinance No. 8565, which grants a P500 monetary allowance not only for senior citizens but also persons with disabilities and solo parents who are Manila City residents.
The city government then entered into a memorandum of agreement with PayMaya to provide cash cards, which will streamline the turnover of the monthly allowance to senior citizens.
Through the cash cards, Domagoso hopes to deter corruption, as the P500 monthly allowance will go directly to the senior citizens' cash cards.