Rama et al tighten rule on claiming senior citizens' birthday gift

THE city government is under fire from senior citizens due to the alleged onerous requirements imposed in claiming their birthday gift. The criticism is magnified with opposition councilors riding on the issue. What nobody knows is that the opposition councilors themselves ordered the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (Osca) to strictly follow the guidelines in the release of the benefit.

This was gleaned in the minutes of the meeting called by the 13^th Sangguniang Panlungsod’s Committee on Senior Citizens chaired by Councilor Vincent Rama on Nov. 4 last year. In that meeting, the opposition councilors castigated Osca for its lenient implementation of the guidelines particularly on the filing of claims.

Based on the guidelines, a senior citizen must apply at least 30 days before his/her birthday to avail of the benefit. It also states that “Late application must definitely be disallowed and not be considered.” But during the Nov. 4, 2015 meeting, Osca head Mansueta N. Teleron admitted disregarding that provision.

According to her, they continued accepting claims from January celebrants up to September that year. Mayor Edward C. Codilla approved another P6 million on top of the P11 million early that year to accommodate all claims for 2015 including those from the late filers.

But Rama was so incensed upon learning that Osca kept on accepting late filers that he blurted out to Teleron and City Social Welfare and Development Officer Marietta Leagaspi: “Maayo tingali i-kuwintas ni ninyo ning ordiansa! Pataka lang mo og sulti!”

The councilors are of the position that late filers even for one day should not be given their birthday gift that year. Councilor Mario Rodriguez is concerned the Commission on Audit might question Osca’s practice of accepting late filers. “Maayo tingali dili nato i-encourage ang late filer,” he said.

Rama seconded by saying: “I think we should stop kanang late filers. I don’t know how you will handle it, but definitely ibalik gyud sa kadtong 30 days before,” he said. “Pananglitan (sa) 2016, kung ang imong birthday February, kinahanglan one month before February, mu-apply gyud ka.”

For his part, Councilor Tomas Serafica advised Teleron to accept late filers for the release of their birthday gift on the next year which the Osca head rejected. “Kung ako gani balibaran, di gyud nako dawaton. Ingna ngano? Kung mag-file sila, they are expecting nga they will receive the amount. So ako gyud ingnon nga sunod tuig na lang na ninyo i-file kay magsalig man na sila,” she said.

DOLE releases P1M assistance to poor families

Mayor Edward C. Codilla hands P26,000 cash to a
representative of a beneficiary association of DOLE's
Integrated Livelihood Program. Six associations were
given the amount to be lent to their members. Also in the
photo are DSWD program representative Nelia Oledan
(left) and CSWDO officer Marietta Legaspi. (photo by
 Josie Serseña)

MAYOR Edward C. Codilla led the distribution of more than P1 million worth of livelihood assistance under the Integrated Livelihood Program of the Department of Labor and Employment. The City Social Welfare and Development identified the 214 beneficiaries.

Six barangay livelihood associations received a total of P157,000 to be lent to their 157 members. The associations will roll the money by lending P10,000 to each member payable within two years with interest, after which the members can borrow again.

The associations are Bagong Community Assoc. (26 members), Margen Farmers Livelihood Assoc. (27), Linao St. Mark Assoc. (30), Boroc Layer Sustainable Livelihood Program Assoc. (27), Kalangkoy Matica-a Livelihood Assoc. (20) and Mahayag Livelihood Assoc. (27).

On the other hand, 44 families of child laborers working in sugarcane fields were each lent P15,000 worth of grocery items for their sari-sari store business payable within two years to their associations. The recipients come from Liloan (three recipients), Dayhagan (1), Patag (17), Cagbuhangin (5), Sumangga (1) and Valencia (5).

Another 13 familes of child laborers from Lilo-an, Patag and Cagbuhangin were also lent cash for their rice-retailing business also payable within two years to their associations. Six of them are repeat borrowers who have fully paid their previous loan received P15,000 each while seven new borrowers got P10,000 and one unit weighing scale each. by Josie Serseña

Violy fine with foreign military base but not in Ormoc

BUSINESSWOMAN Violeta T. Codilla is not comfortable having a foreign military base in Ormoc. The congressional hopeful of Leyte 4^th District aired her view on the matter in reaction to the statement of another candidate that he will allow the city to host an army base if he wins as mayor.

Codilla is concerned that a foreign military base in Ormoc would pose health problems especially on venereal diseases. Such installations, she notes, attracts businesses that mainly cater to service men’s rest and recreation needs like bars and nightclubs.

Codilla is quick to clarify that she is not against foreign military bases operating on Philippine soil, but not in Ormoc. For her, the best area to place such an installation would be either in Mindanao to help counter Muslim secessionists there or in Palawan which is close to West Philippine Sea where the government is locked in a dispute with China.

Codilla further debunks their opponent’s claim there are no investments in Ormoc and that the city is not business-friendly. She cites the 30MW solar power plant inaugurated last year and the acquisition of properties by retail giants SM, Robinsons and Gaisano Metro in Ormoc.

She adds that her husband, Mayor Edward C. Codilla, is focusing on developing homegrown businesses and providing livelihood like micro-enterprises to disadvantaged individuals who cannot be accommodated by the job market. Moreover, Ormoc has long been established as the rice granary and vegetable bowl of Eastern Visayas.

Ormoc councilors fail to help senior citizens

CLOSE TO HIS HEART. Mayor Edward C. Codilla greets two elderly women in one of his daily barangay visits. Last year, the mayor approved the release of P16 million for the senior citizens' birthday gift. He approved the same amount for this year.

THE committee on social welfare of the 13^th Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) conducted a meeting on Mar. 14 regarding the appeal by senior citizens to remove a requirement in claiming their birthday gift benefit. The birthday gift is a financial assistance by the city government given to senior citizens on their birthdays.

The benefit, which comes in the form of P1,500 cash, is mandated by Ordinance No. 184. Lawyer Jasper Lucero who is carrying the advocacy of senior citizens as part of his campaign strategy being an aspiring councilor, formally filed the request to amend the ordinance before the SP.

He is specifically seeking the removal of a provision in Section 4 no. 3 requiring the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to certify that a beneficiary’s name is included in the voters’ list for the 2013 elections to enable him/her to claim his/her birthday gift. A local newspaper quoted him as saying the requirement smacks of “pure politics.”

Mansueta Teleron, head of senior citizens affairs, explained that the Comelec certification was made a requirement to ensure that only bona fide residents are able to avail of the birthday gift. She cited an example of an elderly from neighboring Merida town who was denied of a birthday gift even if she was bearing a senior citizens card from Ormoc.

Councilor Mario Rodriguez, a partymate of Lucero in the Nationalist People’s Coalition, agrees with the justification that the required Comelec certification serves as a safeguard from abuse. “Sakto si ma’am Teleron nga ang concern ani unsaon ang pagkontrol nga ang mahatagan ani nga benepisyo Ormocanon gyud,” he said.

Rodriguez cited the experience of Cebu City wherein the budget for the P3,000 financial assistance given to its senior citizens every quarter has reached P800 million this year due to the influx of elderly people from other places as a result of the lack of safeguards in its ordinance.

Association of Barangay Chairmen president Mariano Y. Corro, also a lawyer, seconded, saying that other local government units (LGU) give birthday gift to senior citizens who are residents for the past three years and that a Comelec certification is a form of proof to that effect.

“Even if I was not a member of the Sangguniang Panlungsod when this ordinance was enacted, I do believe that they incorporated this particular provision regarding Comelec registration to safeguard the funds in order that it will not be abused,” said Corro who is a senior citizen himself.

Ormoc has 16,000 senior citizens but the LGU allotted P16 million for the birthday gift this year which is good for 10,000 members only. “Lisod man sad ang taga-neighboring mga lungsod manganhi dinhi, mangayo silang tanan. Wa gyud tay saktong resources nga ihatag sa tanan,” Rodriguez reasoned out.

But Lucero reasoned that Section 4 of the ordinance also requires a certification from the barangay chairman, which for him already suffices. But Rodriguez is apprehensive with having the barangay chairman's certification as primary proof of the claimant's residency. “We know very well nga naay kapitan nga himuong political tool ang certification,” he said.

Corro is also not inclined on trusting the certificates issued by barangay chairmen, saying that even lawyers violate the required presence of the affiant when notarizing affidavits. “I think it’s very easy to get that certification [from the barangay chairman]. It’s not a sufficient safeguard,” he opined.

Even councilors Vincent Rama who is the committee chairman and Benjamin Pongos admitted being in a quandary on how to grant the request of Lucero, their partymate. The consensus reached is that the required Comelec certification will remain in the ordinance until they come up with an alternative fool-proof safeguard.

Violy plans to provide tech-voc skills training to women

Mayor Edward C. Codilla hands over a certificate of appreciation to his wife Violy for being the guest speaker of the Women's Day celebration in Ormoc. Also in the photo are councilor Godiardo Ebcas and City Social Welfare and Development Officer Marietta Legaspi. (Photo by Joey Vincent Motel)

ENGR. Violeta T. Codilla batted for women empowerment in her message during the Women’s Month celebration last Mar. 11. The wife of Mayor Edward C. Codilla was guest speaker of the affair which carried the theme “Kapakanan ni Juana Isama sa Agenda.”

In her speech before the Kalipunan ng Liping Pilipina chapters from different barangays, conditional cash transfer beneficiaries and women’s groups,  Codilla recognized the role of mothers in upholding their families and underscored the importance of having their own livelihood.

“Nakita nato ang pagpaninguha sa atong kababayen-an nga mabuhi ang atong pamilya, makapa-eskuwela sa atong mga anak. Kinahanglan kitang mga asawa kaantigo kita maningkamot. Ipakita nato sa atong bana nga kita mismo kaantigo mangita og panginabuhi para dili ta daug-daugon,” she says.

Codilla further noted that women are qualified to do men’s work. “Nakita nato ang mga babaye dili na nato ma-underestimate ang katakos sa pagpangita og panginabuhi, sama ka nako. Ako babaye pero kaantigo ko mu-drive sa dump truck ug mu-operate og heavy equipment, backhoe ug bulldozer,” she pointed out.

Connected to this, Codilla bared her plan to provide technical-vocatiuonal skills training to women. “Naa koy damgo ka ninyo nga mag-training ta og babaye nga operators. Kung madayon ang atong damgo, puwede ta mu-abroad tungod sa atong technical skills. Mangayo ta og assistance sa gobyerno nga madayon na nga programa para puhon dollar earner na ta,” she said.

In closing, Codilla committed to support the causes of the women’s groups. “Suportahan nako ang tanang pundok sa inyong kalihukan sa paglambo sa kaayuhan sa kababayen-an. Ako duyog ka ninyo sa kanunay sa inyong mga plano para kitang tanan mahimong ehemplo sa tibuok Pilipinas,” she concluded.

Mayor Ondo gives cash incentives to Ormoc winners of EVRAA

Mayor Edward C. Codilla congratulates coach Benjie Inong for winning the gold medal for his secondary boys basketball team at the recently held Evraa meet. The team received P20,000 from the mayor’s office and another P7,000 from the city’s Special Education Fund for its feat. On the far left is city administrator Francis A. Pepito and on the rightmost is Schools Division Supt. Pedro T. Escobarte Jr.

ALMOST P1 million in cash incentives were given out by the local government unit (LGU) and Department of Education (DepEd) Ormoc City Division to athletes and coaches that reaped medals at the Eastern Visayas Athletic Association (Evraa) meet. Ormoc hosted the school-based sports meet last Jan. 31 to Feb. 6.

The Ormoc Division placed third in this year’s annual sporting event, hauling 41 gold 43 silver and 52 bronze medals in all 17 regular and five demo sports events. This is the first time for the LGU to give out incentives to Evraa-winning athletes to inspire them to give their best performance at the Palarong Pambansa on Apr. 10-16 in Legaspi City, Albay.

The LGU gave P20,000 to teams that won gold medals, P18,000 for silver and 3,000 for bronze. For individual athletes, it gave P5,000 for every gold, P3,000 for every silver and P2,000 for every bronze medals. The LGU further gave P3,000 each to 41 coaches (17 elementary, 24 high school) of the winning teams and athletes.

On the other hand, DepEd also released its counterpart incentives, giving P7,000 to winning teams that earned gold, P5,000 for silver and P3,500 for bronze medals. For individual athletes, DepEd gave P1,500 for every gold, P900 for every silver and P700 for every bronze medal won. It did not include the coaches in the incentives.

The LGU spent P836,000 for the endeavor (P382,000 for elementary and P454,000 for high school)  which it sourced from the sports development fund of the mayor’s office. On the other hand, DepEd spent P139,600 for the incentives which was sourced from the LGU’s Special Education Fund.

For the elementary division, the teams that won gold medals are in football boys and swimming girls (4x50 meter breaststroke and 4x50 medley relay). The girls swimming team also won a silver medal in the 4x100 meter medley relay (MR).

For the secondary division, the teams that won gold are in boys basketball, boys sepak takraw and girls volleyball. Girls futsal is the only team that won a silver medal. Hauling bronzes are the teams from girls athletics for the 4x400m relay, girls swimming (4x50m MR and 4x50m FR) and girls basketball.

The individual athlete in the elementary level who hauled the most medals is arnis player Ann Julia Aseo who won golds in the solo and espada y daga categories as well as silvers in solo baston and doble baston. She received P16,000 from the LGU and P4,800 from DepEd or a total of P20,800.

The most bemedalled individual athletes in the secondary level are Ejaymark Castillo and Christopher Horca also from the arnis team. Castillo won golds in the solo baston, bantamweight and likha anyo espada y daga categories while for Horca, it’s the solo baston, doble baston and bantamweight.

Horca and Castillo received P15,000 from the LGU and P4,500 from DepEd or a total P19,500 each. Mayor Edward C. Codilla congratulated the athletes and reminded them not to neglect their studies. “Ako lang gihangyo sa atong mga athletes nga dili lang ang atong pagka-atleta ang paniguroon. Ang importante ang atong pag-eskuwela,” he said.