Qualified persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Cebu City will start receiving their quarterly financial assistance on Friday, July 10, as the city government resumes the release of cash aid under its annual support program.
In an advisory, the city government reminded eligible beneficiaries to coordinate with their respective barangays for the specific schedule, venue, and other details of the distribution.
The assistance is provided under City Ordinance No. 2456, which grants qualified PWDs P12,000 in annual financial aid, equivalent to P1,000 per month.
Starting this year, the city returned to a quarterly payout system, with beneficiaries receiving P3,000 every three months instead of monthly releases.
Under the ordinance, qualified beneficiaries must be Cebu City residents with mental, physical, or sensory disabilities that substantially limit one or more major life activities.
Applicants must also meet the city’s eligibility requirements, including being registered voters of Cebu City. Current guidelines require beneficiaries to have been registered Cebu City voters in 2013 or earlier.
The city government said the requirement is intended to ensure that the program benefits long-time residents of Cebu City.
Beneficiaries are required to personally appear during the scheduled payout and present their original PWD identification card when claiming the assistance. The city no longer accepts authorization letters for claiming cash aid.
For beneficiaries who are bedridden or unable to travel due to their condition, the city conducts house-to-house distribution to ensure they can still receive the assistance.
The city also reminded beneficiaries that failure to claim the financial aid within the 10-day distribution period will result in forfeiture of the payout for that quarter.
Beneficiaries who fail to claim their assistance for three consecutive quarters without valid justification may also be temporarily inactivated from the city’s assistance program.
The upcoming payout comes as Cebu City continues efforts to strengthen its PWD database and remove fraudulent, duplicate, and ineligible entries.
As part of the verification measures, the city has started issuing redesigned PVC PWD identification cards with QR codes linked directly to the City Hall database.
City officials said the updated identification system aims to improve verification, prevent the use of counterfeit IDs, and ensure that financial assistance reaches legitimate beneficiaries.
Aside from the city’s cash assistance program, holders of valid PWD identification cards remain entitled to benefits provided under national law, including a 20 percent discount and VAT exemption on medicines, medical services, public transportation, selected goods, and other covered services.
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