‘Mayor vows more support for the poor, elderly’
ZAMBOANGA MAYOR Beng Climaco vowed to provide more assistance to tens of thousands of beneficiaries of various pro-poor Vida programs, especially the elderly and the disadvantage sector in the community after opposition councilors removed vital funding in the 2021 Executive Budget.
Climaco said the opposition councilors “killed” the Largo Vida Program, an initiative that she started in 2018 and which she intends to expand to over 60,000 beneficiaries in 2021.
She identified the opposition councilors as Monsi dela Cruz, John Dalipe, BG Guingona, Mike Alavar, Litlit Macrohon, Khymer Olaso, Lilibeth Nuño, Cary John Pioc, VP Elago, Gerky Valesco and Jerry Perez – all political allies (except Dela Cruz and Dalipe who are allies of Rep. Mannix Dalipe) of former Congressman Celso Lobregat whom she defeated in 2019 election.
Climaco said she already signed the budget ordinance with certain line items which she vetoed for either being ultra vires or are prejudicial to the public welfare in accordance with Sections 54 and 55 of the Local Government Code or Republic Act 7160.
She said these line items include “donations and assistance in crisis situation” which covers the opposition councilors proposed distribution of only P5,000 cash to around 40,000 senior citizens.
“Hasta dalida lang de P5,000 cash el na de ila (opposition councilors) pensamiento. We vetoed this haphazardly thought-out proposal which is very limiting and short-lived. We can do and give much better than that,” the mayor said, adding, the funds of the vetoed line item will be utilized for a bigger and more comprehensive social service package that is more sustainable for senior citizens because they only deserve the best.
“More than just the P5,000 cash that will be given, we will continue to give and deliver door-to-door, free maintenance medicines and vitamins. Other forms of key social assistance such as birthday incentives, and incentives for octogenarians, nanogenarians and centenarians, and also free cinema and other free social services to our senior citizens will also be part of the comprehensive package. But this time, not just to 40,000 members, but to a total target of 60,000 members which will cover more senior citizens in Zamboanga City,” Climaco explained.
The mayor said the Vida programs aim to create a more lasting and meaningful impact on the lives of all its beneficiaries. “We need to empower our people and create a more lasting and meaningful impact on their lives, their families and communities. Deseo de atun todo dale mas largo y buen vida na de atun maga abuelo y abuela na Ciudad de Zamboanga,” she said.
“It is with deep regret that (opposition) majority of the members of the City Council resolutely removed vital appropriations in the FY (Fiscal Year) 2021 Executive Budget of the City Government of Zamboanga. Very important social services programs such as the Largo Vida, Salva Vida and Cuida Vida, which could have benefited senior citizens, low income families, disadvantaged communities, marginalized sectors, most affected families of the COVID-19 pandemic and other vulnerable members of society, were unfoundedly scrapped,” she added.
Climaco said the actions of the opposition councilors will have a direct effect to thousands of senior citizens and all “Vida life-liners,” including women and those who are out-of-school and mostly breadwinners of their families, who were tapped to tirelessly deliver health assistance door-to-door to every senior citizen.
“These (Vida) programs were carefully planned by the Executive Department to be sustainable and to introduce a trailblazing brand of service to our constituents that is projected to have a significant impact in the lives of the target beneficiaries. These programs cannot be replaced by mere dole-outs and cash donations that were not studied and haphazardly thought-out. Those (opposition council) members who voted to remove funding for such vital programs must face the people of Zamboanga City and must be held responsible and accountable for such irrepressible action,” she said.
“It is not just cash that is needed, we need a more comprehensive program that will genuinely and sustainably empower our people through medicines, access to critical social services and livelihood to make our people resilient and survive the day to day challenges while we are under a pandemic. Necesita kita dale servicio de calidad because our people deserve only the best,” the mayor added.
It is only during the time of Climaco that such programs and social services benefitted thousands of senior citizens and the vulnerable sector.
“It is only during our administration that we were able to introduce a wide-range of social services to our senior citizens – birthday cash incentives, free maintenance medicines, free movie screening and other key forms of assistance. By 2021, we intend to expand these to a more comprehensive package. Not only for our senior citizens, but also social packages for other vulnerable sectors especially for our society’s patriarchs and matriarchs, PWDs (persons with disabilities) and other vulnerable sectors, the marginalized, low-income families in disadvantaged rural and urban communities and most affected families of the Covid-19 pandemic, who are in need of these social protection programs, now more than ever,” Climaco said.
Climaco previously accused opposition councilors of delaying the approval of the 2021 Executive Budget even as thousands of residents also signed manifestoes supporting the local government’s pro-poor programs, among others, included in the P4.38 billion annual financial plan. “Let us not mix politics into the discussion of our budget because we are all accountable to the people we serve. Leave politics to the elections in 2022. We must not deprive the people, the senior citizens, the farmers, the fisherfolks, the sick, and the hungry the needed support from the local government,” the mayor said.
She said the local government submitted the budget to the City Council as early as September to give legislators ample time to evaluate and pass it at the soonest time possible. She said the “altered” budget was only approved in December.
Climaco has repeatedly appealed to the City Council to consider the approval of the budget as a priority measure not only because it was “certified urgent”, but it addresses the people's plight during these extraordinary times brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Vida Programs
The local chapter of the Federation of Senior Citizens Association of the Philippines headed by its president, Elsa Natividad, also urged members of the City Council to approve the budget, saying, the local government’s various humanitarian programs for the elderly, particularly the Largo Vida through its 400 hardworking lifeliners, provides not only social services, but medicines and vitamins to thousands of senior citizens and vulnerable members of the community.
The Largo Vida Program will originally get P187 million from the budget and also part of the local government’s social services is the “Ayuda La Vida Program,” which will supposedly have P65 million budget to provide various sectors with livelihood programs, including those in the night market and “ukay-ukay” stall owners.
On the other hand, the “Cuida Vida Program” or Soup Kitchen Program was originally to get P50 million allocation to cover mobile feeding initiative in a bid to sustain the daily meals of the marginalized and most affected families of the Covid-19 pandemic.
An allocation of P50 million was also included in the budget for the “Salva Vida” Program which is intended to provide food packs and hygiene kits to low-income families in disadvantaged rural and urban communities in the different barangays. The budget likewise allocated P15 million for outreach programs to the 98 barangays, and P100 million for socialized housing programs.
And another P50 million for “Siembra Vida Program” intended to provide training, livelihood and caravan projects, including activities of the agri-fishery sector; and a total of P906 million for investments in infrastructure and developmental projects.
Climaco said the 2021 Executive Budget is a unique configuration of fiscal plans which assimilate all the previously identified needs of the City and the new challenges brought about by the pandemic. “This budget encompasses all of our social and health-related needs during this crisis. It aims to feed the hungry and heal the sick, hence let us listen to the needs of our people and find it in our hearts to see that this is more than a fiscal plan – it is our roadmap to health and recovery from the global challenge, that is Covid-19,” she said.
She said the Largo Vida Program includes some P26 million appropriated for the “birthday” benefits of senior citizens and P1 million for octogenarians or person who is from 80 to 89 years old; nonagenarians or those who are 90 to 99 years old; and centenarians or those who are 100 years old and above; and another P5 million for PWDs.
“Since our society’s patriarchs and matriarchs are in need of these social protection programs, now more than ever, as well as our PWDs and other vulnerable sectors, we have included twenty-six million pesos million appropriation for the birthday benefits of our elderly people, and one million pesos for the Octogenarian, Nonagenarian and Centenarian; and five million (pesos) for PWDs,” the mayor stressed.
“As evident in our plans and programs, the beneficiaries of this budget are not limited to a privileged few. This budget, by all intents and purposes, is for all the compueblanos of Zamboanga because as the Mother of this City, I will always be driven by my instinct to protect and nurture my children from the economic turmoil and ill effects of this pandemic,” Climaco said.
And because of that, Climaco said her administration provided the needed funding to ensure surge capacity management of health personnel and health facilities. She added that P112 million are provided in the budget for Covid-10 contact tracing programs, and P14.7 million as additional aid to all barangays for Covid-19 related activities of their Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams; and P358 million for drugs and medicines, which includes P 200 million for the procurement of coronavirus vaccines.
Climaco said there is also P42 million for the “Medicare Para Sa Masa Program” to increase PhilHealth (Philippine Health Insurance Corporation) coverage and number of sponsored members from 8,900 beneficiaries to 11,823; and P100 million for construction and rehabilitation of hospitals and health centers plus P110 million for the construction of multi-purpose buildings and P11 million more for the construction of emergency quarantine facilities. She said the budget included P12 million utility subsidy for 6,000 registered micro, small and medium enterprises.
Testimonials
“Ta pide lang gayot yo o jala aquel Largo Vida continua el ayuda para tiene buen salud el de atun mga senior citizens por causa hindi todo maga senior citizens tiene sen que compra cosa el maintenance (medicine) de ila. Por eso ta pide yo si puede continua gat el ayuda del Largo Vida por causa parte aqui canamon ariba na Latuan cay el maga jente aqui bien pobre gayot si puede lang continua el Largo Vida cay cosa-cosa ta sienti el de atun maga de edad ya.” - Jimmy Acosta, Barangay chairman of Latuan.
“Masakit sa amin na alisin ang Largo Vida, bakit si (Councilor) Monsi (dela Cruz) ang mag-alis-alis ng Largo Vida. Ang Largo Vida ang nakakatulong sa amin, yan ang bigas at isda namin. Ang mga senior citizens parang pinatay na rin nila dahil maraming seniors ang walang maintenance nila.”
“Maraming (senior citizens) dito sa Campo Islam ang hindi miyembro ng (SSS/GSIS) pension, so ang mga senior dito ay puro pobre, kahit sumama pa si Monsi dito sa Campo Islam ang seniors dito ay puro pobre hindi katulad niya na mayaman. Sana mamulat siya, bakit ganyan ang ugali niya? So nagpapasalamt kami kay Mam Beng dahil binigyan niya kami ng hanap-buhay. Ipaglaban mo kami Mam Beng at sa iyo kami.” - Adarla Jammang, Largo Vida life-liner in Campo Islam.
“Ahora que modo ya lang kami, el de mio marido nohay ya man trabajo, tiene pa ele diabetes, tiene pa ele hypertension. Amo ya lang aquel (maga medicina estaba na Largo Vida) el de amon esperanza. Bien duele ya gat se kanamon si quita sila (opposition councilors) ese Largo Vida.” - Olivia Galarpe, Largo Vida beneficiary in Tugbungan.
“No puede se quita (Largo Vida), paquimodo man kami, grande gat se ayuda de Mam Beng na medicina ta dale kanamon…comigo tiene yo (enfermedad) de Corazon y aquel medicina ta dale comigo buenamente era. Ese lang gane yo ya pide con Mam Beng.” - Melinda Alabat, Largo Vida beneficiary in Camino Nuevo.
“Quire gat kami continua el (dalida) del medicina cay sabe ustedes el fuerza ta dale kanamon, especialmente yo 72 años ya, ta pide lang gayot yo con el Senior (Dios) cay si Mayor ya puede gat ele ayuda kanamon. Ta pide gat yo continua gat si Mayor (con el Largo Vida), ta dale fuerza kanamon, ta dale dormida buen buenamente gat el maga medicina.” - Erlinda Alam, Largo Vida beneficiary in Vitali.
“Quiere gat yo extende ese Largo Vida cay nececita gat se kami kay nohay gat kami budget para conese. Necesita gat se kami, tianza ya gat se de amon para puede toma (medicina estaba na Largo Vida).”- Pilar Ilaga, Largo Vida beneficiary in Mercedes.
Supports
The mayor said the local government continues to provide monthly allowances to about 7,812 public school heads and teachers, and also 1,878 members of the Philippine National Police, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and the Bureau of Fire Protection. “This is a simple token and in recognition of the valuable support and contributions of our fellow public servants,” she said.
“Moreover, we have increased the honoraria of 460 barangay health workers, 90 barangay nutrition scholars, 350 day-care workers and 980 barangay tanods from two thousand pesos to three thousand pesos per month, since we acknowledge their courage and endless dedication in their field,” Climaco explained.
Aside from those, the Climaco administration also provides aid to non-government entities such as the Boy and Girl Scouts of the Philippines, Philippine Red Cross, Cooperatives, drug rehabilitation center, farmers and fisherfolks and even the Reception and Study Center for Children, among others; and also to national government agencies – litigation courts and national high schools and others. (Zamboanga Post)
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