DSWD asked to increase number of senior citizens to get social pension

BACOLOD City Lone District Representative Greg Gasataya has asked Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rolando Bautista to increase the number of senior citizens who will receive a social pension in the city.

Gasataya said yesterday he already coordinated with the Dswdregional office to facilitate the increase in the number of senior citizens as beneficiaries of the Social Pension Program in Bacolod.

At present, he said Bacolod City has a total of 2,700 senior citizens as beneficiaries of the Social Pension Program with a pending of around 4,000 senior citizens, which was already validated by the DSWD.

They are receiving P500 every month.

“This is a big help to our senior citizens who are not receiving a pension from the Social Security System, Government Service Insurance System or from the government,” Gasataya said.

The Social Pension Program is provided under the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010 or Republic Act No. 9994.

Meanwhile, Gasataya said the renovation and construction of three satellite public markets in Barangays Sum-ag, Granada and Banago already started.

He said in Barangay Sum-ag, this will be a two-storey public market and it will decongest the traffic situation in the area,

while in Barangays Granada and Banago will be single storey public markets.

Gasataya noted that he proposed the project two years ago, to decongest Burgos, Libertad and Central public markets including the traffic in some areas in Bacolod.

The national government earlier allocated a total of P46 million for the construction of three satellite markets.

Gasataya said satellite market is beneficial to the residents of the said barangays and it will be easy for them to buy their needs.*