Feature

Ageing tree trimmer thankful for monthly cash help

by Rachelle M. Nessia

Creaking bones and cold weather brought on by a night of heavy rains did not stop a determined 82-year old Pablito Bungcasan from waking up at the crack of dawn, earlier than usual, to start preparing for the day ahead. 

Any other day and Bungcasan would still have been deep in slumber.  But not today, the 28th of June. "Nahadlok ko nga ma-delatar mao nga nimata gyud ko ug sayo ug naabot ko dire sa center wala pa'y alas otso (You see, I did not want to be late so I woke up very early and arrived here at the center before eight o'clock)," he said. 

He then slowly stood up and shuffled to the front of the crowded room inside the Women's Center when he heard his name called. He stopped before a table surrounded by personnel in red vests bearing the name "DSWD-7" who made him sign a sheet of paper before handing over an envelope filled with peso bills.

“Daghang salamat (Thank you very much),” he whispered, clutching the white envelope with slightly trembling hands then headed back to his seat to pick up his tattered straw hat before making his way to the door. 

Once outside the center, he carefully opened the envelope and painstakingly counted the bills totaling to P1,500.  

Bungcasan was one of the 27 senior citizens in Dumaguete City who trooped to center that day. They were chosen by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to benefit from the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens, a national government-funded project that provides a monthly stipend of P500 to selected senior citizens. 

In that occasion, the ageing beneficiaries received their subsidy good for three months, from January to March for this year. Dumaguete City Social Welfare and Development Officer Marina Mendoza promised them that they will receive their April to June stipend in the next few weeks, soon as her office has finished the needed paperwork. 

Pres. Benigno S. Aquino III has strongly supported the release of the monthly stipends for qualified senior citizens in line with Republic Act 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens in order to financially assist the elderly aged 77 and above. Priority has been placed on those who are frail, sickly or with disability and without pension or a regular source of income or financial help from relatives to support their basic needs. 

The short and wiry Bungcasan was a farmer back in the day, tilling land until his fingers turned knobby and his skin brown and leathery from too much time under the sun. Nowadays, he depends on odd jobs such as trimming trees in people's yards for money, which are unfortunately far and few in between considering his age. Not to mention that the money he earns from his tree-trimming chores are meager and his rate varies, depending on whether the customer would haggle or not. 

A monthly cash assistance is to Bungcasan like manna from heaven, as he counts himself very lucky to have been selected to receive the monthly cash subsidy from the national government.“Gapasalamat ko kaayo ni President Aquino sa iyang gihatag nga hinabang para sa mga gulang nga wala'y gisaligang abot sama nako (I am thankful especially to President Aquino for giving this financial assistance to the elderly who have no regular income to depend on like me),” said Bungcasan.  

So what will he spend the money on? “Bugas ug isda. Mao na'y paliton nako dayon human dire (Rice and fish. Those are what I will buy first after I leave here),” he said. 

He plans to use the remaining money to tide him over in case he couldn't get tree-trimming jobs before the next round of cash subsidy release. 

Before walking away, Bungcasan jokingly said: “Basi'g naa kay mga kaila nga nagkinahanglan ug tawong mutapas sa ilang kahoy, pahibal-a baya ko (Let me know if you have friends who need their trees trimmed!”). Then, fixing his frayed, woven hat onto his head, he stepped out into the light drizzle to make his way to the market. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)