BEREAVED families in Manila numbering over 5,900 have been able to benefit from the ‘Tulong Para sa Naulila,’ program launched by Mayor Honey Lacuna when she assumed office in 2022.
The said program has provided P3,000 financial death benefit assistance for Manilans who have lost a loved one.
Lacuna said that for the year 2024 alone, the local government was able to give to the said bereaved families cash aid totaling about P17.7 million.
“Makaaasa po kayo na magtutuloy-tuloy ang pamimigay natin ng P3,000 na death benefit assistance para sa mga Manileño na nangangailangan ng karamay,” the mayor said.
While the financial help may not be enough, Lacuna said it is her administration’s small way of showing sympathy for Manilans who lose loved ones and make them feel that they are not alone in their time of bereavement.
In a related development, Lacuna assured that her administration is doing everything possible to make Manilans live a longer, illness-free life, by constantly calling on them to avail of the free primary health care services in the city’s 44 health centers spread all over the six districts of the city.
“Prevention is always better than cure. Tangkilikin ninyo ang ating mga health centers. ‘Wag na po kayong makipagsiksikan sa ospital, kng matutugunan ng health center ang inyong problema. Sila po ang magsasabi kung kailangang sa ospital kayo magpunta,”said Lacuna, adding that in such cases, the health center concerned will refer the patient to the hospital nearest to him or her.
Being a doctor, Lacuna cited the importance of visiting the health centers and availing of the free check-ups without having to wait for any illness to set in.
She said that the health centers are now offering new additional services on top of the usual health services that are being given for free to all residents, as she also called on barangay authorities to also urge their constituents to avail of such services.
Lacuna said that these new services include clinical laboratories, ECG and ultrasound for pregnant women, on top of the free medicines which are being given also for free such as metformin, losartan and many more.
