The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VI has completed the distribution of Social Pension Program for Indigent Senior Citizens (SPISC) stipend in Aklan and Guimaras Provinces and in Bacolod City.

“We are glad that the elderly in Aklan, Guimaras and Bacolod City have already received their pension. This means that the Lolos and Lolas now have money to buy their milk, vitamins and put food on their tables,” said Regional Director Ma. Evelyn B. Macapobre.

Records show that Region 6 is now at 93 percent in terms of completion of distribution of the aid and the agency targets to finish the distribution by early June. The amount released so far is pegged at P1.020 billion benefiting 340,201 elderly.

Under the program, the recipient receives P500 per month or P3,000 in a semester. For the year, the total amount is P6,000.

Distribution of the stipend is already at 99 percent in Iloilo Province; 97 percent in Negros Occidental; 92 percent in Capiz; and 89 percent in Antique Province.

A total of 365,908 elderly are targeted to be reached under the program with only 25,707 yet to receive the aid.

“We commend our Social Pension team and other staff who have helped. We also recognize the contribution of the Local Government Units in making this possible. We are in a pandemic and the aid that goes to our senior citizens will surely go a long way,” said Director Macapobre.

She reiterated also that the senior citizens need not go to distribution sites if they are ill or even have a doubt that they are unwell.

“Our staff will deliver their stipend right at their doorstep. Not going to the payout when they feel sick or have the feeling that they may be sick means caring for themselves, their fellow senior citizens and our DSWD frontliners,” she said.

DETERMINED

Judith Tanate-Barredo, head of the Social Pension Program – Regional Program Management Office, said that they are bent on completing the payout by June.

“We are optimistic that we will be able to complete the distribution by June,” she said.

BACKGROUND

Social Pension is the additional government assistance to augment the daily subsistence and other medical needs of indigent senior citizens.

As indicated in the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010 or RA 9994, it is an additional government assistance which aims to: improve the condition of indigent senior citizens by augmenting their daily subsistence and medical needs; reduce incidence of hunger; and protect them from neglect, abuse, deprivation and natural and man-made disasters.

The grant of social pension shall be subject to a review every two (2) years by Congress, in consultation with the DSWD within three months after convening the Congress./dswd6

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