Old-age pensioners lament being left out of social amelioration program

Local authorities from Rodriguez, Rizal started distributing cash aid to their constituents on Wednesday.

Among the list of beneficiaries was senior citizen Norma Vito whose children lost their sources of income due to the Luzon-wide quarantine.

After the local government interviewed her, however, they said that she was not eligible for the amelioration program because she received her social pension in December last year.

“E wala na nga po kaming gamot… kaya kailangan ko na talaga ng pambili ng gamot,” she said in a 24 Oras report by Maki Pulido.

Elena Anonuevo was banking on the cash aid from the government for her medicines because one of her children supporting her is out of work due to the quarantine.

Rodriguez has over 39,000 target beneficiaries.

The only residents included in the list are senior citizens without pension, poor pregnant women or lactating mothers, persons with disability, solo parents, and those part of the informal sector. —Julia Mari Ornedo/LDF, GMA News