Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival is set to review the requirements under Executive Order (EO) 077 after the council requested allowing alternative documents for senior citizens who lost their original OSCA IDs when claiming financial assistance.
Mayor Open to Alternatives
Archival said he is willing to study whether a photocopy of the OSCA ID along with another valid government ID can be accepted, but stressed that it must still comply with laws and accounting rules to prevent corruption.
Councilor's Appeal
This comes after Councilor Pastor “Jun” Alcover Jr., chair of the Committee on Senior Citizen Affairs, delivered a privilege speech on June 16. Alcover urged the mayor to consider amending EO 077, noting that many elderly have lost or damaged their IDs due to hardship or illness.
Alcover proposed accepting barangay certifications, OSCA certifications, or other government IDs instead of depriving seniors of aid.
Current EO 077 Provisions
Under EO 077, issued by Archival on June 3, senior citizens receive PHP 3,000 per quarter or PHP 1,000 monthly. Currently, only original OSCA IDs are accepted, and photocopies are prohibited.
It is recalled that Archival also vetoed a proposal allowing relatives to claim aid for sick seniors due to fraud concerns. However, distribution of financial assistance for the second quarter will begin on June 19 under the new guidelines.
