Indigent senior citizens to receive benefits

SOME 66,080 beneficiaries of the social pension program for indigent senior citizen (SPISC) will receive P500 assistance to be released by the Department of Social Welfare and Development Cordillera Administrative Region (DSWD - CAR).

Social Welfare Officer IV Amy Cabrera of the protective services explained 77 percent of the 85,048 target beneficiaries of DSWDCAR must be 60 and above, due to the limited budget from the central office.

As indicated in the expanded senior citizens act of 2010 or RA 9994, the SPISC is an additional government assistance improving the lives of indigent senior citizens by augmenting their daily necessities and medical needs; reduce incidence of hunger; and protect them from neglect, abuse, deprivation, and natural manmade disasters.

A government assistance amounting to P500 per month with an additional P200 unconditional cash transfer will be distributed while starting 2019 to 2022, an increase of P300 unconditional cash transfer and P800 per month will be given according to the central office.

Cabrera said the regular social pension beneficiaries will be given in cash by the local government units while the unconditional cash transfer will be released by Landbank.

"On the other regions, it will be a cash card. Hopefully by next year they could release cash cards to our beneficiaries in the region. For the elders who cannot access the bank, they can authorize someone to accept the benefits released by the bank," she added.

The department is still planning for the budget of the other 18,968 beneficiaries who were not included.

SPISC is the additional government assistance monthly stipend to augment the daily necessities and other medical needs of indigent senior citizens.