CEBU, Philippines — In its effort to continually support the elderly in Central Visayas, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-7 has already reached 95.26 percent of the beneficiaries for the social pension.
Data from DSWD-7 show that this percentage corresponds to 285,521 out of 299,737 senior citizens in region 7, who have received cash stipends in the third quarter of 2024.
Indigent senior citizens receive a monthly social pension of P1,000 to help with their basic needs, which now totals P9,000 for this quarter.
This social pension is available only to elderly individuals who are sickly or who are "not receiving any pension or regular support from their families."
For those unable to attend the payout in person due to difficult circumstances, DSWD-7 social workers delivered the cash assistance.
Regional Director Shalaine Marie Lucero urged local government units (LGUs) to implement their own programs to ensure that other elderly people benefit from such initiatives.
She noted that many senior citizens, particularly those in rural areas, are still excluded from the social pension program due to the limited number of available slots.
"While we continue to lobby to our policymakers to increase the number of slots for pensioners and the amount (of the pension), LGUs can create local programs to accommodate the excluded from the program," said Lucero.
This initiative is anchored in two key programs supporting senior citizens: the Social Pension Program and Republic Act 10868, or the Centenarian Act of 2016.
Additionally, 90 centenarians have already been awarded P100,000 in cash, along with a congratulatory letter from President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., honoring their lives and contributions to the nation.
Since the law was passed in 2016, DSWD-7 has provided cash gifts to 982 centenarians in the region.
In 2025, the full implementation of RA 10868 will be transferred to the National Commission of Senior Citizens. — (FREEMAN)