In first district 1,377 seniors qualify in social pension list

CEBU, Philippines - An initiative by the Department of  Social Welfare and Development has identified about 1,377 seniors in Cebu's first district who are qualified for pension benefits.

Kerwin Macopia, DSWD-7's information officer for the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction, said DSWD is now ready to transfer the funds to the local government units under the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens program.

The LGUs will then be the ones to distribute the stipend to the indigent senior citizens whose names are listed in the consolidated order of payment provided by the DSWD-7, Macopia said.

The biggest chunk of the 1,377 qualified senior pension beneficiaries in the first district goes to the town of  Sibonga which has 264 beneficiaries.

Sibonga is followed by Carcar City with 260 beneficiaries; San Fernando, 241; City of  Naga, 232; Talisay City, 200 and Minglanilla, 180.

For this specific project, the Department of Budget and Management allocated an amount of  P2.065 million for the first district of Cebu.

The criteria for being a social pension beneficiary require one to be an indigent, 77 years old and above, Filipino citizen, sickly, disabled, no income or any other means of livelihood, no pension from private and government pension bodies and no regular support from relatives.

The Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens program addresses the clamor for social protection to the most vulnerable older persons, as well as backs the full implementation of  R.A. 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of  2010.

The monthly financial assistance aims to improve the living conditions of eligible indigent senior citizens to help them in their needs, such as medicines and food.

Every family beneficiary receives a total amount of P1, 500 cash grant every quarter. — (FREEMAN)