Senior citizens estimated at 55K in Central Visayas still without social pension program
Mayor Cesar “Didoy” Suan says the Cordova town government will give a monthly financial aid of P500 to senior citizens, who did not pass the qualifications of the DSWD social pension program. | Contributed photo via Futch Anthony Inso
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines – Senior citizens estimated to be around 55,000 in Central Visayas are still waiting to be included in the social pension program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-7.
These seniors are reportedly still waiting for a vacant slot so that they can be accommodated in the program.
Daisy Lor, social pension focal head of DSWD-7, said that indigent senior citizens who were enrolled in the program would receive a monthly pension of P500.
The said amount will be received by them twice a year or per semester.
Indigent senior citizens qualified for the program were a) those not receiving any pension from other institutions, such as the Social Security System (SSS), and Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), among others; b) those who were not receiving salary from their work or business; and c) those who were not receiving regular support from their children.
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However, since the budget/slot was limited, not all indigent senior citizens were enrolled in the program.
Lor said that they have tasked the local government units (LGUs) to identify those indigent elderly who were deserving to be enrolled in the program.
“Dili man gyud tanan ma-enroll nato sa social pension kay limited raman ang slot ini, mao nga atong gitahasan ang mga LGUs sa pag-identify sa mga deserving nga senior citizens,” Lor said.
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Lor is also hoping that their central office would open additional slots to enroll more seniors in the program.
Currently, Lor said that Central Visayas has 299,737 social pensioners. /rcg
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