A PHP 1,500.00 STIPEND each for 13,748 poor senior citizens in Region 1 is now being distributed through the Social Pension Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The release started in the first week of June, facilitated by DSWD personnel with assistance from the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officers (MSWD) of 121 local government units.

One of the recipients in Urdaneta City, Jovito Eugenio, 79 and a cancer patient, thanked the government for the assistance saying, “Pagyamanan ta adda met it–ited ti gobierno a tulong.”

Eugenio said this stipend is the only financial help he has ever received from government.

Meanwhile, Urdaneta’s MSWD director Marcelo Nicomedes Castillo, who was present during the distribution, announced that the automatic replacement of listed senior citizens during payout is no longer implemented.

The list of waiting eligible senior citizens will now have to be assessed and verified by the Office of Senior Citizens Association’s Head and Monitoring Team prior to submission to the regional office for approval and funding.

The number of social pensioners accommodated per municipality is based on the poverty incidence and National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR).

The Social Pension Program covers poor senior citizens aged at least 77 with no regular support or pension received. This is stipulated in the Expanded Senior Citizens Act or RA 9994.

DAGUPAN

In Dagupan, the Senior Citizen Center of the Federation of Senior Citizens Association has been officially recognized by the DSWD after satisfactorily complying with the minimum standards for accreditation.

Social Welfare Officer III Fritzie C. Barrameda said among the standards met are the  
the P1.7 million fund appropriated by the Dagupan City government for 2012 plus income generated by the group, the center’s operation from Monday to Friday and personally managed by the officers in close coordination with the designated city social welfare and development officer’s focal person, the holding of monthly meetings attended by Barangay Senior Citizens Association (BSCA) from the 31 barangays of the city.

The federation generates income from their respective barangays as well as through membership, income generating project such as pharmacy for senior citizens), donations, pledges and solicitations.

The center, which is located at center of the city, is also equipped with a clinic and rest area, basic medicine kit and pharmacy.

The Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs is headed by lawyer Cornelia M. Espanol. (With reports from DSWD Information Office and PIA Pangasinan) 

Back to Homepage

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments