Claiming of senior citizens’ birthday gift made easy in Ormoc

 ORMOC CITY, Leyte, June 10 (PNA) -- Outgoing Mayor Edward C. Codilla signed into law Ordinance Number 027, which amended certain provisions of Ordinance Number 184 or the Birthday Gift Ordinance that mandates the provision of Php1,500 cash on the birth anniversary of senior citizens in this city.

While the intention of Ordinance No. 184 is considered noble, a good number of senior citizens have conveyed their predicament in complying with the stringent requirements imposed.

Section 4 paragraph 3 of Ordinance Number 184 requires that a senior citizen must be a resident of the city for at least three years and that his name should be reflected in the 2013 voters’ list as certified by Comelec.

Many senior citizens were unable to register to the Comelec due to poor health, physical disability and other incapacities not uncommon among the elderly, leading to the consequence of their inability to avail of their birthday gift.

Under the amended ordinance, it is enough that the beneficiaries’ names must appear in the roster of members at the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA).

It also gives more emphasis to the important role of the senior citizens’ identification card. To this end, OSCA is mandated to process the birthday gift and monitor the whereabouts and qualifications of registered senior citizens. (PNA)

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