The DSWD Field Office 7-Central Visayas conducted a three-day Roll-Out Training on the Manual of Operations for the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens Program from July 8 to 10, 2025, at Hayat Sky Towers in Busay, Cebu City.

The training aims to equip program implementers with updated operational guidelines and practical skills to ensure the effective delivery of the national government’s social pension program for indigent senior citizens.
It also served as a refresher course on key implementation areas, including identification of eligible beneficiaries, frequency and mode of stipend release, liquidation procedures, monitoring and evaluation, reporting, grievance handling, and coordination with local government units.
According to Dr. Daisy C. Lor, the program’s focal person, Memorandum Circular No. 6, Series of 2025, outlined the updated policies, which introduce enhanced features and procedures to strengthen the program’s implementation.
“We’re conducting this training to establish a unified understanding among all implementers on how to execute the program at the grassroots level, particularly in our partners,” Dr. Lor said, emphasizing the importance of technical support extended to LGUs.
The Social Pension Program remains one of DSWD’s major programs, providing a monthly stipend to qualified indigent seniors as mandated by the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010. It was further strengthened by Republic Act No. 11916, which doubled the monthly stipend from ₱500 to ₱1,000.
The program helps augment the daily subsistence and medical needs of older persons who have no regular income, support, or pension.
As of 2025, the program serves 226,929 senior citizens across Cebu and Bohol. Some 72,808 elderly individuals from Negros Oriental and Siquijor, now part of the newly established Negros Island Region. However, implementation of the Social Pension Program remains with DSWD 7 while the regional transition is still underway.
To enhance service delivery, the DSWD has recently adopted a Fund Transfer modality, allowing the direct release of funds. This modality authorizes LGUs to determine their preferred mode of payout, whether through cash distribution, house-to-house delivery, or other methods, as well as the schedule and venue of the distribution.
In 2024, DSWD improved the program by shifting the payout schedule from semi-annual to quarterly, providing more regular and timely financial support to beneficiaries.
As of July 2025, the program has achieved a 99.90% payout rate for the first quarter. For the second quarter, 70.32% of payouts have already been completed, with disbursement still ongoing.
Addressing on-the-ground challenges
To reinforce practical application, participants revisited essential processes such as beneficiary listing and delisting, and engaged in on-the-ground simulations and role-playing exercises. These activities focused on handling real-life grievance scenarios, including cases of exclusion and eligibility concerns, to ensure proper response and resolution.

“This roll-out is essential to ensure that our implementers are not only guided by policy but are also empowered to deliver the program efficiently, creatively, and with compassion,” Dr. Lor emphasized.
Following the successful training, DSWD 7 is preparing for the upcoming Program Implementation Review in Cebu City, scheduled July 23 to 25, 2025. The event will gather LGU partners, representatives from the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA), and the local implementers for review and evaluation of the Social Pension Program.
“We are holding these training and reviews to ensure that all our program implementers have a unified and clear understanding of how we implement the program on the ground,” Lor concluded. ###