By Matthew Go
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office 4-A disbursed a total of PHP4 billion in social pensions to around 330,000 qualified indigent senior citizens in the Calabarzon region throughout 2024.
Joseph Constantine Arceo, DSWD regional public information officer, said on Friday that the distribution follows the increased monthly rate of PHP1,000 under Republic Act 11916, which raised the previous PHP500 monthly stipend to help better meet the basic needs of elderly beneficiaries.
Calabarzon, composed of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon provinces, has been implementing the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens program since its inception under earlier legislation. Qualified recipients include frail and sickly individuals who have minimal or no support from family members and are not receiving pensions from the Government Service Insurance System, Philippine Veterans Affairs Office, Social Security System, or any other insurance provider.
“Our office facilitated the payouts, while some funds were transferred to local government units (LGUs), with DSWD personnel overseeing the distribution,” Arceo said in a phone interview.
The Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens program initially began in 2011 under the Expanded Senior Citizens Act (Republic Act 9994). Enactment of RA 11916 in July 2022 subsequently doubled the monthly social pension amount to better address the needs of older Filipinos, recognizing that many remain vulnerable and reliant on government support.
In a separate development, Arceo also reported that on Thursday, DSWD provided PHP300,000 in capital assistance to 28 members of the Bucaowin Sustainable Livelihood Program Association in Bucao, Polillo, Quezon, intended for a fish-buy-and-sell venture. The initiative aligns with the department’s livelihood support objectives, working in coordination with LGUs to foster alternative income sources.
DSWD continues to coordinate with local authorities to ensure smooth implementation of the social pension program and the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP). Both efforts are part of the agency’s broader mandate to promote social welfare and alleviate poverty in the region.