Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan announced that the local government held consultative meetings in preparation for the orderly payout of the doubled monthly allowance for senior citizens for the months of April, May, and June 2025.
In a statement, Lacuna-Pangan revealed that the Office for Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) led by Elinor Jacinto is conducting these meetings with all 896 barangays across the six districts of Manila.
The consultations aim to ensure that the master lists and payrolls for each barangay are updated and organized, ensuring smooth distribution of funds, just as with the previous payout.
The mayor also expressed her gratitude to the barangay chairpersons, barangay secretaries, and all officials responsible for preparing the updated senior citizen master lists in their respective jurisdictions.
She commended their hard work, noting the crucial role they play in assisting approximately 200,000 senior citizens in the city.
OSCA Head Elinor Jacinto shared that the monthly allowance for senior citizens was increased from P500 to P1,000, thanks to an ordinance signed by Mayor Lacuna-Pangan in October of last year.
As a result, the quarterly allowance for senior citizens was effectively doubled to P3,000, starting with January to March 2025.
The local government has shifted to distributing the allowance via cash payouts in response to feedback from senior citizens that many elderly citizens had encountered difficulties with the previous PayMaya system used before Mayor Lacuna assumed office.
Jacinto emphasized that the mayor has shown full trust and confidence in the barangay chairpersons to manage the payout process efficiently and without political influence.
Jacinto added that financial assistance is vital for seniors to cover their maintenance medications and other personal expenses.