Over 112T indigent seniors get pension

CEBU, Philippines —  At least 112,515 indigent senior citizens in Central Visayas have received social pension cash grants from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

As of November 4, DSWD disbursed a total of P362,110,000 to the beneficiaries. Each senior received P3,000 for the second semester of 2020.

Of the total recipients, 71,515 are from Cebu, 15,603 are from Bohol, and 25,397 are from Negros Oriental.

The payout for the remaining number of indigent senior citizens, including those from Siquijor province, is set to be completed within this month.

The total target social pensioners for Central Visayas are 279,037.

DSWD-7 said payouts are done in barangays. The cash grants of bedridden pensioners, on the other hand, were delivered to them.

“Senior citizens who are fragile and sickly are not required to personally claim their stipend during the payout as the nearest relatives of the social pensioner can claim the stipend provided that they bring with them an authorization letter and their identification cards as authorized representatives during the payout,” DSWD-7 said.

Under the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010 or RA 9994, senior citizens qualified to receive the monthly stipend under the Social Pension Program of the DSWD are those who do not have a permanent source of income or financial assistance, no regular support from family or relatives for his/her basic needs, frail, sickly or with disability, and without any pension from Government Service Insurance System, Social Security System, Philippine Veterans Affairs Office, Armed Forces and Police Mutual Benefit Association, Inc. or any other insurance company. — KQD (FREEMAN)