The Caloocan City government started the distribution of cash gifts and birthday packages to registered senior citizens at the Caloocan Sports Complex, Barangay 171 in the city on Thursday, Sept. 8,
Under City Ordinance No. 0984, Series of 2022 signed by Caloocan City Mayor Dale Gonzalo "Along" Malapitan on Aug. 30, all registered senior citizens in the city will each receive a P500 cash gift on their birthday month starting this month.
It was one of the local chief executive promises during the 2022 election campaign, following the birthday package program launched by the previous administration.
“Ang pangako ko po sa inyo noong panahon ng kampanya, kasabay ng pagtanggap niyo ng birthday package ay magbibigay din tayo ng cash gift para sa inyong kaarawan. Ngayon, naisakatuparan na po ito sa tulong ng ating konseho at isa nang ganap na ordinansa (I promised you during the campaign that when you receive the birthday package, we will also give you a cash gift for your birthday. Now, it has been granted with the help of our council and is now an ordinance),” Mayor Along said.
The senior citizens also received spaghetti packages.
Malapitan said that the ordinance was passed to recognize the contribution of the senior citizens to the city.
“Mga lolo at lola namin sa Caloocan, hayaan nyong kami naman po ang mag-alaga sa inyo at kilalanin ang inyong ambag sa ating komunidad. Ipaparamdam po namin sa inyo na masarap tumanda sa Caloocan (To our grandparents in Caloocan, let us take care of you and recognize your contribution to our community. We will make you feel how good it is to grow old in Caloocan),” the mayor said.
In line with the program, the Office for Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) also launched the digitalization of the registration and updating of senior citizen IDs for more efficient information dissemination, benefit distribution, and streamlined data repository.
OSCA officer-in-charge Ms. Marilyn de Jesus said the cash gift distribution will be held in barangays and that all registered senior citizens are entitled to receive the benefit.
“Ibababa po natin ang pamamahagi sa mga barangay para mas mabilis makuha ng mga senior kasabay ng kanilang cash gift. Ang bilin po sa atin ni Mayor Along, walang pipiliin — mayaman, mahirap basta’t rehistrado po sa ating database ay mabibigyan ng cash gift, (The distributions will be held in the barangays so that the seniors can receive it faster. Mayor Along told us, all seniors -- rich or poor -- as long as you are registered in our database, you will be given a cash gift)” she said. (Diann Ivy Calucin)