The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VII started the first semester payout for the Social Pension Program for indigent senior citizens. The payout is coordinated with the local government units (LGUs).

As of April 11, 2023, the DSWD Field Office VII has already disbursed a total of PHP 366,504,000.00 to the 122,168 indigent senior citizens who received a PHP 3,000.00 cash stipend each for the first semester of 2023.

For Bohol province, the total number of indigent senior citizens who received the Php 3,000 cash stipend is 56,776; for Cebu, it is 44,601; for Negros Oriental, it is 10,391; and for Siquijor, it is 10,400.

The total target population of social pensioners in the Central Visayas region is 299,737.

The DSWD Field Office VII ensures indigent senior citizens will not have to go far from their respective barangays. Thus, the agency holds the payouts within the barangay. In some cases, barangays are clustered in one location by proximity.

Based on Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 17 series of 2022, the distribution of the social pension will now be released to the beneficiaries through various modalities every January–June, and July–December. It was previously released to the beneficiaries quarterly or every three months.

For the second semester of 2023, the beneficiaries will receive their remaining PHP 3,000 cash stipend.

The Department said that the amendment on the frequency of distribution will fast-track the release of the social pension to the beneficiaries, in consideration of the limitation of funds for administrative costs, the workforce, and disbursing officers.

Aside from the cash payout facilitated through the DSWD’s Designated Special Disbursing Officers, other modalities are fund transfers to local government units (LGUs), cash cards through an authorized government depository bank, and payouts through money remittance companies.

Upon submission of the required documents for fund transfer, the DSWD-7 will download the funds to the 34 LGUs in the region for the first-semester payout. For Bohol Province, the LGUs are Antequera, Buenavista, Catigbian, Danao, Dimiao, Garcia Hernandez, Guindulman, Inabanga, Jagna, San Isidro, San Miguel, Sevilla, and Tubigon, while for Cebu Province, they are Alegria, Badian, Balamban, Carmen, Catmon, Compostela, Oslob, Ronda, San Remigio, and Tabogon. For Negros Oriental province, the LGUs are Amlan, Bacong, Basay, Bayawan, Canlaon City, Dauin, Guihulngan City, La Libertad, Pamplona, Tanjay City, and Zamboanguita.

The department said that the scheme to be used will vary depending on the assessment of the field office to ensure responsiveness while considering the safety of both the beneficiaries and DSWD personnel in accordance with existing rules and regulations.

The Department also clarified that those who are fragile or sickly are not required to claim their stipend personally during the payout.

Likewise, MC No. 17 stipulates that the nearest relatives of the social pensioner can claim the stipend provided they bring an authorization letter and their identification cards as authorized representatives to the payout. Aside from the onsite payout, the social pension can be delivered directly to the house for bedridden social pensioners.

The DSWD also clarified that the social pension they distributed in the first semester is PHP 500 monthly. It will implement the increase to PHP 1,000 for the monthly stipend upon the release of funds by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to DSWD.

As specified in the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010 or Republic Act 9994, seniors 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 their basic needs, are frail, sickly, or have a disability, and have no pension from the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), the Social Security System (SSS), the Philippine Veterans Affairs (PVAO), the Armed Forces and Police Mutual Benefit Association, Inc. (AFPMBAI), or any other insurance company.

The Social Pension Program provides government assistance to indigent senior citizens in the amount of PHP 500 monthly support to augment their daily subsistence and medical needs. ###

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