Bigger cash aids eyed for ‘enduring love’

Local

LONG-married senior couples in Cebu City could soon receive bigger financial assistance from the local government.

A proposed ordinance now pending before the Cebu City Council seeks to increase the financial aid granted to married senior citizens celebrating their Golden (50th) and Diamond (60th) wedding anniversaries.

Councilors Sisinio Andales and Rhea Mae Jakosalem have introduced a measure seeking to amend City Ordinance No. 2503 to raise the financial aid granted to long-married couples celebrating major marital milestones.

Under the proposed amendments, qualified couples marking their Golden Wedding Anniversary (50 years of marriage) would receive P30,000, while those celebrating their Diamond Wedding Anniversary (60 years) would be granted P50,000 in financial assistance.

The ordinance aims to revise the title and several provisions of the existing law, which currently provides financial assistance to underprivileged married couples residing in Cebu City who reach these milestones.

In the ordinance’s statement of policy, the proponents emphasized that Cebu City has long positioned itself as a senior citizen-friendly city, providing monthly allowances and other benefits to elderly residents.

The proposed amendments also recognize the cultural and social importance of long-lasting marriages in Filipino society.

“Golden and Diamond wedding anniversaries are regarded as extraordinary achievements that symbolize enduring love, commitment, and stability in married life,” the measure states.

According to the ordinance, many couples who reach these milestones are unable to properly celebrate or renew their marital vows due to financial constraints, despite their contributions to family and community life.

The proposal also cites Article XV of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, which recognizes the Filipino family as the foundation of the nation, as well as Republic Act No. 9994, or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010, which mandates government support for the welfare of elderly citizens.

If approved, married couples seeking financial assistance must meet several requirements.

Applicants must have been residing in Cebu City for at least 10 years and must submit the following documents:

Marriage certificate issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)

Barangay certification as proof of residency

Senior Citizen Identification Cards issued by the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA)

Voter’s certification for both spouses confirming their residency in the city

Barangay offices, through their Gender and Development (GAD) focal persons, will receive and consolidate the applications before forwarding them to the Department of Social Welfare Services (DSWS).

The DSWS will conduct the screening, evaluation, and interviews of applicants. Approved applications will then be endorsed to the Cebu City Women and Family Affairs Commission for processing of the financial assistance.

The proposed measure also clarifies that couples who already received financial assistance for their Golden anniversary will remain eligible to receive additional assistance if they reach their Diamond anniversary, provided they continue to meet the qualifications under the ordinance.(TGP)