TACLOBAN CITY – A total of 73 senior citizens from Borongan City recently received financial gifts from the national government through the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) as part of efforts to recognize milestone birthdays and uplift the welfare of the elderly.
The beneficiaries received P10,000 each, either personally or through an authorized family representative. The cash assistance was given to seniors who celebrated milestone birthdays between April and May 2025, specifically those who turned 80, 85, 90, or 95 years old.
Borongan City Social Welfare Officer Verina Amoyo expressed her gratitude to the NCSC for the swift release of the financial aid. She noted that this was already the third batch of payouts in the city for the first half of 2025.
Meanwhile, NCSC Project Development Officer IV Aster Dadulla lauded Borongan City for its comprehensive senior citizen programs, which she said should serve as a model for other local government units (LGUs) in the region.
“You are a model LGU in the entire Region 8 because of your many programs for senior citizens. I am proud of you—even though I am not from Borongan, I proudly talk about your city in other places because of your initiatives. I even tell other LGUs that Borongan has programs like these that they can also implement,” Dadulla said in Waray during her message.
The city government under Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda has been proactive in supporting its elderly population. Starting January 2025, Borongan has been providing a monthly monetary allowance of P1,000 to all senior citizens. They also enjoy free medicine and free transportation under the city’s health and social welfare programs.
For centenarians, in addition to the P100,000 cash gift provided by the national government, the Borongan city government grants an additional P50,000, recognizing the remarkable longevity and contributions of the city’s oldest residents.
These initiatives reflect a strong national-local partnership in promoting inclusive social protection, especially for the elderly sector.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
