‘’Tungod sa inyo efforts, nabuhinan ang sakada sa antique’’ Rhodora Cadio, Governor of Province of Antique said in commending the DSWD VI on the implementation of Social Pension Program.
As known, 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 Only (P500.00) monthly stipend to augment the daily subsistence and other medical needs of indigent senior citizens, subject to a review every two years by Congress in consultation with the DSWD.
With this, the agency targeted 365,203 indigent senior citizens in the six provinces of Western Visayas last year and served the same number perfectly with 100% corresponding amount of Php 2,191,218,000.00 disbursed in the provinces of Aklan, Antique, Capiz ,Guimaras ,Iloilo and Negros Occidental and two lone districts of Iloilo City and Bacolod City.
Aside from this, a total of 7,030 senior citizens were delisted in the list beneficiaries due to death, transferred residence and found out to be pensioners of SSS, GSIS and other private insurance companies.
“We had several skills enhancement and capability trainings conducted per province last year at the same time reviewed the Social Pension implementation to ensure the successful operation of the program,” says Judith Barredo, DSWD6 Social Pension Focal.
She said, “thru these, we become one of the Top Performing Units of the agency in the Directors List of Awards, with the exemplary program performance innovation in CY 2017”.
Furthermore, the agency was also recognized for advocating the replication of social pension for Indigent Senior Citizens in the Local Government Units. /MARYANNROBLES/MERRY JEZZEL M. BRENDIA/DSWD6