The City Government of Iloilo expressed gratitude to the Department of Social Welfare and Development for the implementation of the Social Pension for indigent senior citizens in the city.

A total of 22 senior citizens received their social pension from the DSWD through Mayor Jed Patrick E. Mabilog during a ceremony held at City Hall on August 29. The mayor distributed cash of P1,500 to each of the beneficiaries as their stipend for one quarter.

“We are thankful to the DSWD for this even as we in the City Government also never fail to implement programs and projects for the elderly like free medicines, ‘libre sine’ and incentives for centenarians,” Mayor Mabilog said.

The Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens is one of the provisions stated under Section 5 Republic Act 9994, otherwise known as the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010. It is an additional government assistance in the amount of Five Hundred Pesos (P500) monthly stipend to augment the daily subsistence and other medical needs of indigent senior citizens.

Priority beneficiaries are senior citizens 77 years old and above, who are frail, sickly and disabled, without a regular source of income and/or support from any member of the family, and not receiving other pension benefits from government and private agencies./dswd6/Wenna B. Bendol with a report from Iloilo City Government