MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Tuesday said the agency has no backlogs in distributing the P500 monthly social pension of the senior citizens in need.
DSWD said this after Senator Sonny Angara urged the department to address its delays in the said payout.
According to DWSD Assistant Secretary Romel Lopez, the supposed backlog previously raised by the Senator could refer to the 466,000 waitlisted senior citizens who are seeking inclusion in the social program but have yet to be part of its target beneficiaries.
“Up to now, ang atin pong payout when it comes to senior citizens ay on time. Wala po tayong backlogs when it comes to payment,” he said in an interview in Radyo 630.
(Up to now, our payout for senior citizens is on time. We do not have any backlog in terms of payments.)
As explained by the assistant secretary, there are would-be beneficiaries on the waitlist as the current funds allocated for the program only cover 4.1 million senior citizens. Each of them receives a P500 stipend monthly.
Lopez then pointed out that only 93,000 are exiting from the number due to different reasons such as death.
“Iyong discrepancy between sa waitlisted and nag-eexit ay masyadong malayo, and that is the very reason kung bakit may backlog po tayo,” he said.
(The discrepancy between those waitlisted and those exiting the program is too big, and that is the very reason why we have a backlog.)
Meanwhile, Lopez said that the budget increase for the social pension program in 2024 will only cover the additional P500 monthly stipend of the senior citizens.
Under the Act Increasing the Social Pension of Indigent Senior Citizens, the monthly social pension shall increase to P1,000.
Once the 2024 budget is approved, Lopez said the additional pension will be given to indigent senior citizens starting next year.
According to the DSWD, to be eligible for the program, senior citizens should fall within the following criteria:
- Frail, sickly, or with a disability
- Without pension from the Social Security System, Government Service Insurance System, or any sources of pension in government and private agencies
- Without any permanent source of income, compensation, or financial assistance from relatives to support their basic needs
The social pension program seeks to enhance the daily lives and address the medical needs of the senior citizens in need, the DSWD also noted in a press release.
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