BAGUIO CITY – The City Council, during last Monday’s regular session, approved on first reading a proposed ordinance granting a Christmas bonus to all registered senior citizens in the city in the amount of P500 each.
Under the proposed authored by Councilor Leandro B. Yangot, Jr., P500 will be granted every year to each registered senior citizens of the city that will serve as their Christmas bonus that will be given every December.
The ordinance outlined the mechanics for the allocation and disbursement of the proposed Christmas bonus for registered senior citizens in the city to ensure transparency and orderliness in the distribution of the said privilege.
Among the proposed mechanics for the grant of the said Christmas bonus are that all senior citizens associations shall submit the list of all registered senior citizens in their respective barangays to the Office for Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) on before the 15th day of November each year; the OSCA shall then prepare a list of all registered senior citizens of the city, certified by the OSCA head and verified or noted by the City Social Welfare and Development Office head, which shall then be submitted to the City Mayor and the City Council for approval on or before the 30th of November each year and the City Mayor shall then set the date, time and place for the release of the Christmas bonus of the city’s senior citizens.
The ordinance mandated the allocation of some PhP5 million or so much thereof for 2025 for the purpose of realizing the goals and objectives of the proposed measure.
However, the allocation and disbursement of this amount shall be subject to the limitations of existing government accounting and auditing rules and regulations.
Further, the amount needed in excess of the appropriated amount of PhP5 million in order to accommodate all the registered senior citizens shall be allocated from any available funds of the local government.
Yangot claimed that the local government is resolute in providing additional benefits to the senior citizens of the city by means of financial grants in the form of Christmas bonus annually.
Section 9 of Republic Act (RA) 9257 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2003 stipulated that non-governmental organizations or private volunteer organizations dedicated to the promotions, enhancement and support of the welfare of senior citizens are encouraged to become partners of the government in the implementation of programs and projects for the elderly.
Subsequently, the government shall recognize the vital role of non-government organizations in complimenting the government in the delivery of services to senior citizens.
Pertinent provisions of RA 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991 states that the local legislative body is empowered to provide for the care of the vulnerable and marginalized sectors such as the aged. By Dexter A. See
