Indigent senior citizens aged 65 years old and above are now qualified to receive stipend from the Department of Social Welfare and Development. DSWD Regional Director Atty. Araceli F. Solamillo recently announced that because of this effect, more than 39,000 indigent senior citizens in the region will now be receiving P500.00 from the DSWD on a monthly basis for their needs such as medicines.

The DSWD however emphasizes that the Social Pension Program is intended for those senior citizens who are considered indigent based on the National Household Targeting System of the DSWD, and/or those who are not beneficiaries of any social insurances such as SSS and GSIS.

Senior citizens or their family relatives may visit their local social welfare and development offices on how to avail of the stipend.

Having heard the concerns of the public that the stipend is very minimal, Solamillo explains that the budget appropriated for the said program is very limited and that the DSWD is continuously lobbying with the congress to increase the agency’s budget so that stipends for its beneficiaries will also increase, and that more indigent senior citizens will also be covered.

The Social Pension is one of the provisions under Section 5 of Republic Act 9994 otherwise known as the “Expanded Senior Citizen Act of 2010.”

Written by Charmaine P. Tadlas, DSWD