DSWD told to address seniors’ pension release backlog

DSWD told to address seniors’ pension release backlog

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Sonny Angara on Monday urged the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to address the delays in the distribution of social pensions for senior citizens in need. “Nakakabahala ang binanggit ng DSWD na mayroong 466,000 na backlog sa pagbibigay ng social pension para sa ating mga lolo at lola na walang kahit anuman na suportang nakukuha mula sa kanilang mga kamag-anak,” Angara said in a statement. (The statement from DSWD about a backlog of 466,000 in providing social pensions for our elderly, who receive no support from their relatives, is alarming.) “For indigent seniors, the monthly social pension would help a lot as an augmentation to their daily expenses and [medical] needs. We are inquiring into the causes of these delays and appealing to the DSWD to resolve this at the soonest possible time,” Angara added. During the discussions regarding the proposed budget of the DSWD, it was disclosed that the distribution of social pensions worth an estimated P5 billion remains pending. The proposed 2024 budget of the DSWD allocates nearly P50 billion for the monthly P1,000 social pension intended for over four million needy senior citizens. Angara is one of the authors of Republic Act 11916, which doubled the social pension for indigent senior citizens from P6,000 to P12,000 a year. RELATED STORY: 466,000 seniors on DSWD social pension program waitlist Nearly 4M Filipinos ‘in crisis’ to benefit from hike in DSWD’s budget