ILOILO City – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has removed 13,468 senior citizens in Western Visayas from its social pension program due to their receipt of pensions from other government services or regular family support.
The action follows a comprehensive revalidation process aimed at ensuring that only eligible senior citizens receive the pension.
The social pension program provides a monthly stipend of P1,000 to indigent seniors over 60, who are frail, sickly, or disabled, and have no other means of financial support. It aims to supplement their daily subsistence and medical needs, reduce hunger, and prevent neglect and abuse among this vulnerable demographic.
The breakdown per province of the delisted senior citizens is as follows:
* Aklan – 1,494
* Antique – 1,308
* Capiz – 1,594
* Guimaras – 466
* Iloilo – 5,324
* Negros Occidental – 3,282
According to DSWD Region 6, 1,327 of these seniors were already receiving pensions from the Social Security System (SSS) or Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).
Another 830 had other sources of income such as honorariums or salaries, and 331 had regular financial support from family members.
Other reasons for delisting were death, relocation, or being unlocatable.
DSWD-6 director Atty. Carmelo Nochete said the purpose of revalidation is to redirect resources to those most in need.
“The revalidation ensures that the social pension aids seniors who lack any other form of pension or family support, thereby helping more elderly who desperately need this support,” Nochete explained.
The DSWD guidelines state that seniors already receiving pensions from SSS, GSIS, or other similar institutions, including the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) and AFPMBAI (Armed Forces and Police Mutual Benefit Association, Inc.), are ineligible for the DSWD social pension. This is to prevent the duplication of financial aid and ensure equitable distribution among indigent seniors.
Nochete also called on family members to support their elderly relatives, citing obligations set by the Family Code of the Philippines, which mandates familial support across generations.
“While the government is here to assist, the primary responsibility for supporting family members should not be abdicated in favor of state aid,” he said, stressing that familial support is essential before considering government assistance./PN
