Social pensioner 104-year-old Albarito Villarba of Brgy. Crespo, Sara, Iloilo was awarded and recognized as one of the oldest living centenarians by the Iloilo Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) during the 2014 Awarding of Centenarians and Elderly Filipino Week Culminating Activity at the Grand Hotel on Monday (October 20).

Villarba, is one of the 40 centenarians who were awarded with a plaque of

recognition and P1, 000 cash, as spearheaded by Ma. Evelyn Macapobre, regional director of Department of Social Welfare and Development 6 (DSWD-6).

However, Villarba was not able to get personally the award due of his old age but he was represented by his niece Rose.

According to Rose, her widow grandfather is very much thankful that he was included on the Social Pension Program being implemented by the DSWD.

Rose added she accompanies her grandfather to get his pension at the Landbank every pay out and after that his Lolo will buy food and medicines for his maintenance.

During ordinary days, his Lolo is busy gardening at his backyard where he spends most of his time planting vegetables.

“The social pension brought inspiration to my Lolo to do better despite of his age. He really appreciated the government assistance given to the indigent senior citizens”, Rose said.

Social pension is an additional government assistance in the amount of P500 monthly stipend to augment the daily subsistence and other medical needs of the indigent senior citizens aged 77 years old and above.

Presently, the program covers 21,164 indigent senior citizens in the region including those 242 indigent senior citizens who are survivors by Typhoon Yolanda last year.

As of third quarter of this year, 8,704 indigent senior citizens have already received their stipend amounting to P44,428,500.

The provision of Social Pension for indigent senior citizens is mandated by law stated in Section 5 of the Republic Act 9994, otherwise known as the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010. (DSWD-6/Montesa Grino-Caoyonan)