SIX months after Typhoon Frank struck six towns in Western Visayas, the Cebu City government released P1.7 million in financial assistance to the affected local government units (LGUs).

Acting Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, the City Council and Emma Villarete of the Cash Disbursements Division of the City Treasurer's Office (CTO) distributed the checks and vouchers to the mayors.

Cadiz City of Negros Occidental received most of the assistance at P1 million while the rest were divided to the five towns at P100,000 to P200,000 each.

Mayor Salvador Escalante Jr. of Cadiz City said the amount will be divided into P7,000 each for the 130 affected families.

Escalante said Cadiz City, considered as the fishing capital of Negros, sustained damages to its 22 barangays.

He said the city is slowly recovering from the devastation wrought by the typhoon through funding assistance from the national government.

For his part, Mayor Isabelo Maquino of Sta. Barbara town in Iloilo said the P100,000 will be used to repair the damaged infrastructure that was submerged by floods in 20 barangays.

Also present were Mayor Bienvenido Margarico of Janiuay town who received P100,000, Roxas City Vice Mayor Ronnie Dadivas who received P200,000, Iloilo City Treasurer Helen Togado who received P200,000 and Mayor Ramon Yee of Cabanatuan town who received P100,000.

Meanwhile, Cebu City officials will draw up the guidelines for the release of P50 million worth of cash gifts to the city's registered senior citizens sometime today.

Guillermo Casinillo, Office of the Senior Citizens Association (OSCA) chief, said they will meet with the city's Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS) and the City Council to map out the guidelines for the cash gifts promised by Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña to the city's senior citizens.

An ordinance appropriating P50 million for the cash gifts is still being reviewed by the council's committees on laws and budget and finance.

Osmeña previously announced that the cash gifts will be sourced from last year's P250.7 million budget surplus.

The mayor, who is in Houston, Texas undergoing chemotherapy, reiterated his promise in a televised address before last month's grand finale of the Sinulog festivities. About P2,000 in cash will be given to each senior citizen.

The cash gifts will be given during their birthdays and at Christmas.

According to the ordinance, the gift giving program shall be held under the mayor's office while the guidelines for distribution will be set by the OSCA and DSWS.

Casinillo said there are 52,000 senior citizens in the city based on the latest population. Only those who voted in the previous elections and beyond are qualified, the official said.

“They have to prove that they have voted in Cebu City,” he told . /Reporter Marian Z. Codilla and Correspondent Jully Venus Cuizon