The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Region XI reported on Monday that 82, 531 senior citizens across Region XI have benefitted from the agency’s Social Pension Program in 2016.
During the Kapihan sa Dabaw media forum at SM CIty Davao, DSWD XI Regional Director Mercedita Jabagat said 20,287 of the beneficiaries are from Davao City.
According to Jabagat, at present, while other beneficiaries receive their pension directly from their own local government units through their city or municipal welfare offices, recipients from Davao City have been receiving their pension from DSWD Regional Office since the City Legal Office is conducting a review of the memorandum of agreement between DSWD and City Social Welfare and Development Office for the latter to carry out the distribution of pension.
“Hopefully if ma-finalize na ang review sa legal sa city ang MOA namo, kung iapprove na nila, sila na ang mag payout (Hopefully, if the City Legal Office could finalize the review and approve the MOA, they would be the one to distribute the payout),” said the regional director.
According to Jabagat, those who are qualified to apply for the program are indigent senior citizens 60 years old and above, and senior citizens without pension from the Social Security System or Government Service Insurance System.
First implemented in 2011, the Social Pension Program initially benefitted indigent senior citizens 77 years old or more.
The age qualification was lowered to 76 years old in 2014 and further to 65 years old in February of this 2016 and was further lowered to 60 years old at the later part of the year.
Under the program, every qualified applicant can avail himself/herself of P500 pension per month. However, since the pension is given quarterly, the beneficiary could receive P1500 per quarter.
