Mayor Honey Lacuna bared that city funds amounting to about P48 million and meant for the monthly allowance of some 8,000 senior citizens in Manila continues to be with PayMaya.
The amount is equivalent to the allowances of 8,000 individual seniors at P6,000 per year and the PayMaya system through which the senior citizens may claim their monthly allowance was implemented by former Mayor Isko Moreno, who inked the deal when he was the mayor.
“Noong panahon po niya idinaan po ang mga allowances ng senior citizens natin through PayMaya. Napakarami pong mga reklamo sa akin na wala naman silang nawi-withdraw doon sa pondo. In fact, hanggang ngayon, meron kaming nakabinbin na around P48 million na nasa PayMaya pa rin. Hanggang ngayon nagkakaroon kami ng kasuhan ng PayMaya dahil hindi namin ma-retrieve yung pera. Nagko-contest po sila dahil nakuha na daw ng mga seniors,” Lacuna said. It was learned that the city government and Paymaya are still engaged in talks on their conflicting positions.
Owing to the complaints from senior citizens regarding the difficulties they encounter with PayMaya, Lacuna said her administration heeded their call and opted to give their monthly financial assistance through the barangays, also as requested by the senior citizens themselves.
“Marami sa kanila, hindi nakapag-withdraw. Anong ginawa ko, ibinaba ko sa mga barangay yung kanilang allowances. Pinagkatiwala ko sa mga barangay officials yung allowances ng seniors,” Lacuna said.
According to Lacuna, city hall had to clean up the OSCA registry of seniors because some of those who were in the old list are no longer residents of Manila or have passed away, adding that the allowance is not transferable to a senior’s dependents or relatives.
Lacuna said Moreno’s arrangement with PayMaya can be likened to a failed experiment, because of the former mayor’s weak understanding of some seniors’ lack of familiarity on the use of ATMs.
“Ginawa nyang komplikado ang paghahatid ng serbisyo sa mga seniors. Dahil mas kilala natin ang ating mga senior citizens, alam nating mas effective ang direct cash payouts. Alam din nating mapagkakatiwalaan ang OSCA at ang mga barangay sa pondong para sa seniors. Sapat ang ating mga precautions and accounting measures. Mula nang malinis natin ang listahan, mas nakakatiyak na tayong ang pondo ng Maynila ay napupunta sa mga totoong taga-Maynila,” Lacuna stressed.
“Kay Isko, sana ay ‘wag na niyang gamiting palusot ang mga seniors sa muling pagtakbo. Tama na ang panloloko,” Lacuna said.pointed out.
OSCA chief Elinor Jacinto also took exception to claims being made by Moreno that the allowance of senior citizens that are not claimed on a given date from their barangays get forfeited.
Jacinto said that under the system introduced by Lacuna, the senior citizens may claim their allowances from their barangay for period of one week. After that, they may seek assistance from their barangays to give them a recommendation so they can get their unclaimed allowances within a period of another five days.
The allowances for the bedridden or those immobilized by illness can still get their allowances as these are being delivered to their homes by the barangays, Jacinto added.
