About 2,000 indigent senior citizens in Carmen, Davao Del Norte received their social pensions from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) XI.
The payout was held at the municipal gymnasium last June 28, led by Protective Services Division chief of DSWD, Ma. Elena Labrador.
The DSWD regional office has started to conduct the social pension payout throughout the region Tuesday through Friday beginning in the last week of June.
“We commend the beneficiaries, the local government unit and the local social welfare and development office for their support in making the payout orderly, peaceful and smooth. We are hoping for a similar experience in our succeeding payouts in other towns,” said Arris Medrano, DSWD head of social pension unit.
The DSWD also reminded the qualified social pensioners of the requirements for claiming.
“In claiming the pension, personal appearance is required with valid Identification Card and a photocopy of the ID. For those physically unable or bedridden, we need to go to their homes and personally hand in their pension,” Medrano said.
Each eligible indigent senior citizen is entitled for a P500 monthly stipend to augment his or her daily subsistence and other medical needs.
While many senior citizens have been grateful for the assistance, some called for an increase in the amount they receive.
“Salamat sa tanan. Maayo unta madugangan ang pension (Thank you everyone. I hope our pension will be increased),” Editha Mahumot, 69, a social pensioner said.
Eligible seniors to receive social pension, according to DSWD, are those who are frail, sickly or with disability.
It also emphasized that the qualified seniors must be without any pension from other government agencies and a permanent source of income or source of financial assistance/compensation to support their basic needs, including other pensions from the Social Security System (SSS), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO), and private insurance companies.
