Masantoleño elderly get cash grants

MASANTOL - Hundreds of elderly from various villages in this town yesterday received their monthly social pension from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and local government here in a simple payout held at the municipal covered court.

During the distribution, Mayor Danilo Guintu said that more than P1-million was distributed to at least 714 senior citizens who were identified as indigents by the town’s social welfare office to help them in their daily expenses, particularly on medici n es.

He furthered that each received P1,500 to cover the months of October to December where they were supposed to get P500 monthly pension as stipulated in the social pension program for indigent senior citizens of the national government.

Under the program, citizens aged 60 and above who have no pension from private or government institutions, regular income, or support from their families are given monthly stipends.

“Ito ay kaunting tulong ng gobyerno sa mga senior citizens na hirap sa buhay at nangangailangan ng tulong pinansyal para sa kanilang gamutan at araw-araw na gastusin,” Guintu said.

Guintu disclosed that the local government’s list of beneficiaries increases every year alongside with the continuous development that happens in the town.

As local chief executive, he stressed that he makes sure to fulfill his duty of providing better lives to his kabalens by seeking budgets from different government agencies and private organizations to help everybody.

“Iyong mga hindi na kaya ng local funds, humihingi tayo ng tulong sa DSWD para hangga’t maaari mabigyan lahat ng mga nangangailangan ng tulong dahil iyon ang ipinangako nila. Sa Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, sa Department of Health, lahat iyan hinihingan natin ng tulong para sa ating mga senior citizens ng Masantol,” he sai d.

Meanwhile, Guintu reminded the beneficiaries to use their social pensions wisely and avoid spending them on unnecessary activities and stressed that the DSWD and local government may monitor the lifestyle of beneficiaries to see if they are indeed indigents and are worthy of the stipends they recei ve.