Some seniors claim being required to personally claim ayuda; Manila probing incident

Some of the elderly who crowded the Delpan Sports Complex in Tondo to claim their financial aid from the Manila city government were of the impression that they had to do so themselves and in person.

According to a report on "24 Oras", some  senior citizens said were wary of going out to claim their cash but claimed they were required to personally receive their aid.

"Anak ko po sana (ang kukuha) eh 'yon nga lang, kailangan daw ng personal (na pumunta)," Francisco Makawili said.

"Tiyagaan lang po kasi kung hindi ka magtiyatiyaga, wala ring mangyayari. Nandoon po 'yong takot pero tintiis na lang po gawa ng walang-wala talaga eh, kailangan eh," Artemio Lilis added.

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno said the incident is now under investigation.

"They're investigating it right now. Hopefully, that will not happen again in that kind of situation," Mayor Isko Moreno said.

Ederly residents flocked to the sports complex even with Metro Manila being under Alert Level 4, which forbid those who are 65 and older from going out of their homes.

The crowding at the sports complex also allegedly led to the violation of minimum health standards.

Physical distancing was not observed, while some failed to wear their face masks properly.

The city government provides qualified senior citizens, persons with disabilities and single parents a monthly allowance of P500 in accordance with Manila Ordinance 8565 series of 2019.

Manila Police District Station 11 PCP commander Police Captain Richard Jose said he immediately deployed officers in the area to implement health protocols.

"Kung nagkaroon po ng coordination, nakapagplano po sana tayo ng mas maaga, mas maayos na sistema ng pamimigay ng ayuda," he said.

According to the barangay, over 1,800 beneficiaries were supposed to claim the aid on Monday.

The influx of people might be because beneificiaries who were not able to claim during their schedule also came, they said.

They added that they were supposed to implement a digital wallet system but there was a problem with the service provider. -Ma. Angelica Garcia/NB, GMA News