The Puerto Princesa City government will implement the cash card system for the distribution of allowance of the senior citizens and persons with disability (PWD) come January 2020 as it pushes for “modernization in providing basic services”.
To do this, the City Council on Monday, upon hearing the recommendations of the Committee on Appropriations (CA), approved Ordinance No. 52-2019 authored by councilor Peter “Jimbo” Maristela.
The City Council dispensed with the 2nd and 3rd readings and immediately approved it.
The proposal came after Maristela’s criticism of the three-month delay in the release of funds for quarterly allowance of the senior citizens and PWDs.
Maristela, in an earlier press statement, said that the use of cash cards will ease the troubles for elderly beneficiaries when they claim their allowances.
“Mas madali ito dahil hindi na nila kailangan pang pumunta sa opisina. Puwede na nilang ipakuha sa kanilang apo o anak dahil karamihan sa kanila ay mahihina na rin,” he said.
Some problems however have been raised on the use of cash cards.
“Gaya ng sabi ng ating city treasurer, kailangan natin i-consider yung pag-update ng ating mga barangay officials ng kanilang list para maiwasan yung pagbibigay ng allowance para sa ilang pumanaw na,” CA chairman councilor Victor Oliveros said.
The committee also proposed to exclude far-flung barangays from the “modernized system” citing no automated teller machines (ATM) that are found in areas such as Barangays Panggangan, Luzviminda, and Inagawan.
Previously, the City Council also approved the amendment of Ordinance No. 994 section 4 increasing the allowance of qualified beneficiaries from P1,000 to P1,500 quarterly.
