P3.9-M pension for 1,965 poor senior citizens released

source: mb.com.ph

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 1,965 poor senior citizens in Metro Manila will receive their first quarter social pension from the Department of Social Welfare and Development-National Capital Region (DSWD-NCR) this month with a budget allocation of P3.9 million.

This is part of the four-tranche release of the government’s additional benefit for underprivileged senior citizens.

DSWD-NCR Director Ma. Alicia Bonoan said each of the 1,965 poor senior citizens will receive P1,500 for the first quarter social pension for indigent senior citizens this May.

She said that some 2,880 poor senior citizens in 16 cities and one municipality in Metro Manila, aged 77 years old and above, were originally targetted to benefit from the program through the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR).

However, only 1,965 individuals were found eligible after validation and verification conducted by the local government units, Bonoan said.

She said DSWD-NCR social workers conducted verification and validation of eligible senior citizens who are qualified to receive a monthly social pension of P500 to be distributed on a quarterly basis.

Based on the NHTS-PR data of DSWD in 2010, a total of 145,166 indigent senior citizens nationwide have been prioritized for this year’s implementation with budget appropriation of P870 billion.

Bonoan pointed out that only those indigent senior citizens who are 77 years old and above and do not receive any pension from the Government Service Insurance System, Social Security System, Armed Forces of the Philippines and other insurance company, without permanent source of income, or regular support from his/her relatives shall be included in the program.

DSWD said the provision of monthly pension for indigent senior citizens is in-line with the fulfillment of the obligation of the government to protect the most vulnerable sector through social protection and for the full implementation of Republic Act 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.

The P500 monthly pension aims to help the family augment the daily subsistence and other medical needs of indigent seniors particularly those who are sickly and bedridden.

Likewise, the implementation of social pension is part of the country’s commitment to meet the Millennium Development Goals to eradicate Extreme poverty and hunger and the Madrid InterPlan of Action on Ageing.

source: mb.com.ph