BUTUAN CITY–The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) social pension program provided a total of PHP983.2 million aid to at least 168,163 indigent senior citizens in Caraga Region last year.
In a statement on Tuesday, DSWD-Caraga (DSWD-13) said a total of 168,163 qualified indigent senior citizen beneficiaries in the region directly benefited from the program last year.
“The Social Pension Program is a government assistance of PHP500 monthly stipend distributed per semester, amounting to PHP3,000 for the first semester (January-June) and another PHP3,000 for the second semester (July-December), which will be distributed in the municipality/city in a specific date scheduled by DSWD in coordination with the local government unit (LGU),” DSWD-13 said.
The agency added that senior citizens qualified for the program are those 60 years of age and above who are already frail, sickly, or with disability.
Seniors without regular pension from the government through the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Social Security System (SSS), Philippine Veterans Affairs (PVAO), Armed Forces and Police Mutual Benefit Association Inc., and those with no permanent source of income and no regular support from the family or relatives are also qualified to benefit from the program.
A total of 170,000 indigent senior citizen beneficiaries were targeted for the program in Caraga last year, DSWD-13 said, adding that at least 3,957 individuals were disqualified after a review.
“The disqualified individuals were found to be deceased, some have transferred residences, there were cases where a beneficiary cannot be located. Some were also receiving regular pensions and family support,” the agency said.
Of the 168,163 recipients last year, 37,879 senior citizens are from Agusan del Norte, and 42,897 are Agusan del Sur residents.
In Surigao del Sur, 42,215 benefited from the program last year, 33,348 in Surigao Del Norte, and 11,824 in the Province of Dinagat Islands. (PNA)
