Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna and Vice Mayor Yul Servo lead the medical assistance in Pandacan, Manila, after conducting ‘Kaling sa Maynila’ program at Arvasa Court, Bgy. 867 in Pandacan. They visited a bedridden patient and gave her a free wheelchair. Photo by Jon-jon Reyes
Mayor Honey, VM Yul Servo hold ‘Kalinga sa Maynila’ in Pandacan
MANILA Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan and Vice Mayor Yul Servo Nieto brought the Manila City Hall Hall again closer to Manileños through their program “Kalinga sa Maynila”, this time at the Arvasa Covered Court in Barangay 867, Pandacan, Wednesday morning.
Similar to the first “Usapang Maynila” held last week in Bgy. 378, Mayor Honey brought along with her the directors, consultants, and officers-in-charge (OICs) from different departments to respond to the queries, suggestions, and concerns of citizens in the area.
Most of the questions being raised by senior citizens and barangay officials were related to the monthly social pension being given by the national government through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the monthly allowance of senior citizens from the local government, which were clearly answered and explained by Director Fernan Bermejo of Public Employment Service Office (PESO), Assistant Director Jean Joaquin of Manila Department of Social Welfare (MDSW), and Office of the Senior Citizen Affairs (OSCA) OIC Elinor Jacinto.
For his part, 6th District Congressman Bienvenido “Benny” Abante, who also attended the event, told his constituents that he was the one who sponsored the bill amending RA 9994 or the “Expanded Senior Citizen Act of 2010”, granting an additional P500 monthly social pension to indigent seniors apart from the previous monthly stipend amounting to P500 for a total of P1,000 monthly pension.
“Hihintayin na lang po natin na mailabas ang Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) para po maipamahagi na sa mga pensioners ang P1,000 monthly pension mula sa national government. Uulitin ko po, bukod ito sa ipinagkakaloob na P500 na buwanang allowance ng Lungsod ng Maynila sa lahat ng mga senior citizen sa Maynila.” Abante explained.
Abante also vowed to push for another amendment of the law that will grant additional benefits to all senior citizens in the country, regardless of their status in life, whether they are rich or poor.
After all the queries and concerns raised by Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials, TODA (tricycle operators and drivers association) representatives, and senior citizens were answered and clarified by the city hall officials, Mayor Honey and Vice Mayor Yul Servo Nieto conducted door-to-door visits to six bedridden senior citizen patients in the area and gave a free consultation, medicine, and milk donated by Birch Tree.
