By Rjay Zuriaga Castor
The Iloilo City government has raised concerns over alleged political interference in the distribution of cash benefits to senior citizens, following complaints that some beneficiaries were excluded due to their support for rival candidates.
Mayor Jerry Treñas said he received reports from “distressed and disheartened” senior citizens who claimed they were “unjustly delisted or excluded from the roster.”
The complaints came from residents of Barangay Rizal Pala-Pala Uno, questioning their Punong Barangay’s handling of the enlistment and delisting process for octogenarians (80 years old), nonagenarians (90 years old), and centenarians (100 years old).
“Out of deep concern for the welfare of our elderly constituents, I requested our City Administrator to formally refer these complaints to the National Commission of Senior Citizens,” Treñas said on Feb. 27.
In a letter addressed to Dr. Mary Jean P. Loreche, a Commission Member of the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC), City Administrator Melchor Tan alleged that the barangay official engaged in unauthorized delisting of qualified beneficiaries for political reasons.
The letter claimed that those removed from the list were primarily supporters of rival candidates.
Complaints also indicated that the Punong Barangay was conducting enlistment activities in violation of NCSC guidelines, which assign the responsibility to the mayor, through the Local Social Welfare and Development Office and the Office for Senior Citizens Affairs—not barangay officials.
The city government also raised concerns about an upcoming cash payout event on Feb. 28, 2025, reportedly organized by the office of lone district representative Julienne “JamJam” Baronda.
The letter stressed that such activities should have been coordinated with Treñas’ office.
NCSC guidelines require the commission’s regional office to coordinate with local government units and notify local executives of the final list of eligible beneficiaries before proceeding with scheduled payouts.
Senior citizens reaching the ages of 80, 85, 90, and 95 are entitled to a PHP10,000 cash gift.
Centenarians, or those who turn 100 years old, receive a larger benefit of PHP100,000.
