Ilocano Region elderly receive P1,500 pension

By Freddie G. Lazaro

VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur – The Department of Social Welfare and Development, through its Social Pension Program, reported last week the release of stipends of 13,748 poor senior citizens in Region 1 of P1,500 each or a total of P20.622 million.

DSWD Region 1 director Marcelo Nicomedes J. Castillo said the social pensions were released starting  the first week of June by the agency’s regular work force, assisted by Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officers of 121 local government units in the region.

Castillo, who supervised the release of the stipend to 171 pensioners in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan last week  said this benefit from the government was intended to provide senior citizens their basic needs and health concerns.

He said one of the social pension beneficiaries, Jovito Eugenio, 79, a cancer patient from Barangay Nancamaliran West, Urdaneta City, expressed his thanks for the prompt release of the stipend.

Quoting Eugenio, Castillo said he survives with his medication and milk intake.

He does not eat rice anymore. Further, this stipend is the only government help he ever recalls ever being extended to him.

Meanwhile, Castillo advised that automatic replacement during pay-out is no longer accepted.

Rather, the list of waiting eligible senior citizens is to be assessed and verified by OSCA head and monitoring team prior to submission to the regional office for approval and funding. Number of social pensioners accommodated per municipality is based on the poverty incidence and national household targeting dystem for poverty reduction.

He recalled that the Social Pension Program is providing a monthly stipend of R500 to poor senior citizens aged at least 77 with no regular support or pension received.