CSWDO to seniors: Prepare annual subsidy requirements

August 16, 2022

The City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) urged senior citizens to prepare their requirements for the annual cash grant.

CSWDO Head Atty. Marlisa Gallo, in an interview over the Davao City Disaster Radio on Monday, August 15, 2022, said that their office will prepare the master list of senior citizens, who in return, should prepare their OSCA ID, Voter’s Registration, and membership in the senior citizen’s organization because these are the new requirements mandated by Ordinance No. 0954-22, known as ‘The Amended Annual Financial Assistance to All Qualified Senior Citizens Ordinance of Davao City,” which expanded the pool of senior citizen-beneficiaries, to include those aged 60 years old.

Initially, the annual cash grant worth 1,500 is only available for 65 years old and older.

“Ang 60 apil na siya pero wala pa nabudgetan, ang mahitabo ani basin next year na makadawat pero ang sigurado, maapil na siya sa atoang annual subsidy (There is no approved budget for 60-64 years old yet, but next year they will surely be included in the annual subsidy),” Gallo said. The ordinance also mandates that the payout will be conducted every November.

Gallo reiterated that the eligible seniors should start this early to process their OSCA ID.

“Dapat muhawid ka sa OSCA ID nga issued sa Davao City, kung OSCA outside sa Davao dili dawaton. Kung Nawala ang inyong OSCA ID maghinay-hinay nata og lihok-lihok para makapangayo ta og mga bag-o nga OSCA ID (You should be a holder of an OSCA ID issued in Davao city. If it is outside Davao City it will not be accepted. If your OSCA ID is lost you must already process it and ask for a new OSCA ID),” Gallo said.

She added that apart from the OSCA ID, they must also be a registered voter in Davao City.

“Kinahanglan gyud ni karon nga ang senior apil gyud sila sa list of registered voters, dili sufficient nga i-present ninyo sa amoa inyong voter’s ID pero na delist diay ka sa list of registered voters (What is also required is that they are on the list of the registered voters, presentation of voter’s ID is not enough because you might have already been delisted),” Gallo said.

Bedridden senior citizens who are 75 years old and not on the list of certified voters can present a certificate of residency for at least five years issued by the barangay where they are residing. Those senior citizens who have disabilities, and are not registered voters can also present their PWD IDs issued by Davao City.

They must also be a member of a duly recognized senior citizen’s organization recognized by the OSCA and the CSWDO.

“Kinahanglan member na gyud sila sa organization karon (They are really required to be a member of the organization this time),” Gallo said.

Gallo said that many seniors are not members of organizations and they allowed it in the past two years due to the pandemic but this time, since the majority are vaccinated and the COVID protocols are clear, they should already sign up for membership in a senior citizens organization or they can organize a senior citizens organization. To be recognized, the senior citizen organization should submit the requirements to the district social worker.

The ideal organization size is 15-50 and it is deemed enough since there are some communities with few senior citizens.
Gallo said that they are now working on the master listing of the seniors per barangay as mandated by the amended ordinance. CIO