SENIOR CITIZENS (INQUIRER file photo / NINO JESUS ORBETA)
MANILA, Philippines — Indigent senior citizens can now receive their pension monthly, bimonthly, and quarterly, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said on Thursday.
The previous schedule for the stipend distribution was semestral, or six months.
“Secretary Rex Gatchalian instructed all the DSWD Field Offices (FOs), through the regional directors, to follow the new schedule of social pension payouts,” DSWD Spokesperson and Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said in a statement.
“This is to ensure that the social pension will be received by the beneficiaries more frequently, rather than every six months only,” she explained.
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The new payout schedule is under a May 7 memorandum circular released to regional directors that states that “[i]f monthly releasing of stipend is not feasible, the allowed frequency of payment shall only include bi-monthly and quarterly [releases]. Semestral payment shall no longer be allowed effective July 1, 2024.”
“Secretary Gatchalian’s memorandum also directed the FOs to amend all existing memorandum of agreement (MOA) with local government units (LGUs) bearing semestral payment of social pensions,” added Dumlao.
Meanwhile, the directive stated that the new release schedule may be exempted if most senior citizens in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas and the municipality or area are declared under a state of calamity or crisis such as armed conflict and other unavoidable circumstances.
These cases are subject to approval and validation.
In July, the agency disbursed P21.8 billion for the first half of 2024 to more than 3.7 million beneficiaries.
Eligible beneficiaries received P6,000 semestral pension or P1,000 monthly.
The increase in social pension from P500 to P1,000 was mandated by Republic Act No. 11916, or the Act Increasing the Social Pension of Senior Citizens.
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The Department of Budget and Management has recently allocated P49.8 billion for the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens program under the 2025 National Expenditure Program.