Give seniors’ P500 monthly pension quarterly, DSWD urged

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) should release the P500 monthly pension to millions of indigent senior citizens every three months, instead of every six months, an administration lawmaker said on Friday.

Cagayan De Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez filed House Resolution 1047, urging the DSWD to make the adjustments as the coronavirus pandemic has affected the lives of many Filipinos, including senior citizens.

“Due to lockdowns and quarantines in many parts of the country, many businesses struggled, resulting in loss of jobs for many Filipinos, including senior citizens who are still productive members of society,” he said.

With the end of the pandemic still nowhere in sight as the number of cases still continue to increase, indigent senior citizens need all the financial assistance they can get from the government, Rodriguez said.

He cited the complaints of many beneficiaries of the government’s social pension program in Cagayan de Oro City, as well from other parts of the country, that six months is too long for them to wait for the cash aid.

“They need it augment whatever money they have for their maintenance medicines, food and other essentials,” the lawmaker said.

HR 1047 also called on the House of Representatives to express its “collective consensus” for the release of the senior citizen pension every three months.

The program is based on a DSWD memorandum circular, which allots a P500 monthly financial aid that is to be given “every six months or P3,000 per semester,” according to Rodriguez.

“Some P23.2 billion is allocated in the 2020 national budget for the senior citizen assistance program. There are more than three million beneficiaries,” he said.