Maasin
City (16 March) --- A town in
the pacific area and another one in Panaon
island received today their share of the
financial assistance intended for senior
citizens aged 70 and above who are not
members of State pension firms, either
the Social Security System (SSS) or the
Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).
The granting of checks
for the "Katas ng VAT for Lolo and
Lola" was one of the highlights of
the "People's Government Mobile Action
(PGMA) Serbisyo Muna" Caravan held
at the city gym here Saturday, March 14,
2009.
Former Leyte Governor
and Leyte First District Representative
Remedios "Matin" Petilla, the
Caravan's Project Director, handed the
checks worth P 171,500.00 and P 191,000,00
for Anahawan and Pintuyan, respectively,
assisted by Gov. Damian Mercado and City
Mayor Maloney Samaco.
Pintuyan Mayor Celsa Estrella
received the check for her town while
a Sangguniang Bayan Member, a certain
Sales, got it for Anahawan.
Virginia Idano, Assistant
Regional Director of the Department of
Social Welfare and Development (DSWD),
told PIA in an interview that with Pintuyan
and Anahawan there are now eight municipalities
in Southern Leyte province which had benefited
the government's fund assistance program
for the elderly.
The six others included
Padre Burgos, Tomas Oppus, Libagon, Hinunangan,
Silago, and San Juan towns, Idano said.
The other ten towns and
Maasin City shall get their respective
shares of the "Katas" for Lolo
and Lola once these LGUs shall have complied
with the pertinent papers through their
DSWD offices.
But Idano held back the
check for Pintuyan, saying some pending
requirements had to be complied yet, such
as liquidation of past releases, even
as she assured this can be given back
again in a month's time at most following
compliance of the needed documents.
Mayor Estrella also pledged
to follow-up on the lacking papers, adding
that once everything is cleared she would
personally distribute the money to the
listed recipients, or 382 individuals
for her town, at P 500.00 each. Some 343
elderly persons are set to receive their
share for Anahawan town.
Also during the Caravan
ceremonies, Petilla handed a check worth
P 673,920.00 to Saint Bernard Mayor Rico
Rentuza representing an initial release
for scholarship grant to 22 orphaned children
of Guinsaugon, for the current school
year 2008-2009.
Two Tindahan Natin operators
from Bontoc were also given certificates
to sell low-priced stock of grocery items,
it was learned. (PIA-Southern Leyte)
