ZC shifts senior citizens’ aid distribution to ATM system

Zamboanga City Mayor Khymer Olaso (center) and Land Bank executives, with executive Secretary Celso Lobregat and City Social Welfare office Soccora Roxas sign on Friday June 5, 2026 the memorandum of agreement (MOA) enrolling all the senior citizens who bona fide residents of this city for their cash assistance through automated teller machine (ATM) accounts to ease transactions.

ZAMBOANGA CITY - - The local government here has shifted its quarterly financial assistance for its 80,000 senior citizens through the automated teller machine (ATM) accounts in a bid to streamline transactions, ease the burden on elderly beneficiaries and insulate them from politicians.

The new system was formalized through a memorandum of agreement (MOA) signed Friday by Mayor Khymer Olaso and officials of the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), which introduced its Pera Inimpok Savings Option (PISO) account for the program.

Under the arrangement, senior citizens will be enrolled in individual PISO accounts and issued ATM cards through which they can receive their quarterly assistance.

Olaso and LBP Department Manager Rubyrose Estipona signed Friday the agreement at City Hall in the presence of representatives and witnesses from both parties.

The city’s quarterly cash assistance of P1,000 per beneficiary, provided under the “Largo Vida” (long life) program for senior citizens, will be credited directly to beneficiaries’ accounts. However, residents in far-flung and remote areas will continue to receive their assistance in cash, Olaso said.

The mayor said the city government will transfer the funds directly to Land Bank for distribution to the ATM account holders.

“As part of my campaign promise, we are gradually improving the system for the safety of our senior citizens. During barangay payouts, we observed how difficult it was for many elderly beneficiaries who had to wait in crowded venues were some either passed out or even starved from waiti,” Olaso said.

He said the system will also prevent politicians to engage “epal” from the usual payouts.

He added that the city government is also considering a similar system for educational assistance programs covering kindergarten, Grade 12 and college students.

Olaso said the ATM-based distribution would help depoliticize the release of government assistance.

“We do not want to politicize whatever assistance we give to the people. Beneficiaries will be insulated from politicians because they can directly withdraw their assistance through ATM centers,” he said.

The city government estimates that about 80,000 senior citizens will benefit from the program. Olaso said a validation process will be conducted to ensure that only bona fide residents of Zamboanga City are included.

The program is expected to cost the city government approximately P320 million annually, according to Olaso.