Makati City Mayor Abigail Binay on Tuesday ordered the distribution of P500 as additional yearend cash gift for 2016 to 75,565 senior citizens following the City Council’s approval to increase the annual cash gift to all qualified BLU Card holders in the city.
“We hope that the additional allowance will help our senior citizens cope better with the troubles of aging. Since the city government already provides them a monthly supply of maintenance medicines, free hospitalization and other medical services, they could use the extra money for their other needs,” Binay said.
Under City Ordinance 2016-A-043, approved by city councilors last December, an additional P1,000 to the annual cash gift will be given in two tranches of P500 each to BLU Card holders.
It stated that BLU Card holders aged 60 to 69 will now receive an annual cash gift of P3,000 each; 70 to 79 years old, P4,000; and 80 and older, P5,000. The cash gift for all age groups will still be given in two equal installments every June and December.
The year-end cash gift will also be distributed to the second batch of recipients—1,401 seniors whose BLU Cards were released from Oct. 17 to Dec. 31, 2016.
The BLU Card program was launched in 2002 as a burial assistance program providing P3,000 to beneficiaries of a deceased BLU card holder. It was later expanded to grant financial assistance to senior citizens during their lifetime through an annual cash gift to help defray their daily expenses, especially on food and medicine.
In a report to Mayor Binay, Makati Social Welfare Department officer-in-charge Ryan Barcelo said the distribution of additional and updated yearend cash gifts will be done from Feb. 15 to March 7, on designated periods and venues in each barangay.
The distribution on Feb. 15 will be done from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Barangays La Paz (covered court), Sta. Cruz (barangay hall), Bel-Air (covered court), and Magallanes (barangay hall).
From Feb. 15 to 16, distribution will be made from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Barangays Tejeros (Elderly Wellness Center), and Guadalupe Nuevo (covered court). On Feb. 16, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., distribution will be done at the covered court of Brgy. Valenzuela.
On Feb. 17, Friday, distribution will take place in Barangays West Rembo covered court (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.), and Brgy. Pinagkaisahan barangay hall (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Beneficiaries of Barangay Northside can claim their cash gift at Makati City Hall Building II also on Feb. 17, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
On Feb. 18, Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., distribution will be done at the barangay hall of Bangkal and the covered court of Pembo.
From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 20, the distribution will resume in Barangays Bangkal (barangay hall) and Pembo (covered court), and held at the covered court of Barangay West Rembo.
On Feb. 21, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., distribution will be done at the barangay halls of Forbes Park and San Isidro. For Barangay Olympia, distribution will be from Feb. 21 to 22, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the covered court.
On Feb. 22, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., distribution will be done at the barangay halls of Carmona and Singkamas. From Feb. 23 to 24, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., it will be done at the covered court of Palanan.
On Feb. 23, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., distribution will take place at the barangay hall of Dasmariñas, and the covered court of Comembo.
On Feb. 24, Friday, slated are Barangays Southside and Urdaneta at their barangay halls, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. On Feb. 25, Saturday, scheduled are Barangays East Rembo from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (covered court), and Pio del Pilar from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at San Isidro National High School Annex.
For Barangay Rizal, distribution will take place from Feb. 27 to 28, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the barangay hall. Distribution at Barangay East Rembo is slated for Feb. 27 only, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the covered court.
On Feb. 28, the barangay halls of San Lorenzo (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and Pitogo (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) will serve as the venues for cash gift distribution.
On March 1, Wednesday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., cash gift distribution will resume at San Lorenzo, and will be done at San Antonio covered court. On the same day, distribution will be done at the barangay hall of Kasilawan, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cash gift distribution at San Antonio covered court will resume on March 2, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. On the same day, distribution will be done at the barangay hall of Guadalupe Viejo and at the covered court of South Cembo from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For Poblacion and Cembo, the cash gift distribution will be done on March 6 and 7, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at their covered court and barangay hall, respectively.
