A total of Php 300,500.00 cash incentives under the “Katas ng VAT – tulong para kay Lolo at Lola” Program, at Php 500.00 for every beneficiary, were given to the six hundred sixty one (661) identified senior citizens of the Municipality of Miagao in an official turn-over ceremony held at the Justice Ramon B. Britanico Hall on May 25, 2010.
The program is a one-time cash subsidy of Php500.00 for qualified senior citizens. It was funded through a National Government Allocation Fund from the Value Added Tax (VAT). The program was implemented nationwide since 2009 by the Department of Social Welfare and Development in coordination with the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) and Local Government Units.
In Miagao, some 1,622 citizens have availed of the Php500.00 incentive in 2009, the first trance of the program, or equivalent to Php811,000.00.
Mrs. Rosalinda S. Mueda, Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer, said that the program was designed purposely for the senior citizens “to augment their resources”.
Senior citizens, because of their age and already fragile physical being require a lot of care to maintain their health physically and mentally. Aside from the fact that they need a caring environment, they need medical attention which is to have a good healthy diet. Much as they want to have what they need, due to limited resources and increasing prices of commodities they could not support such need,” said Mrs. Mueda.
Mrs. Mueda said the names of the senior citizens were identified by the Punong Barangays from their respective barangays. For the MSWDO, they did the validation and submitted the list to the Regional Office for their consideration and approval. Among the things considered in picking the beneficiaries were: age (should be 70 years old) and must not be covered by Social Security System and Government Service Insurance System Retirement Benefit.