ILOILO City – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has released a total of P399.66 million in social pension to 133,220 indigent senior citizens across Western Visayas during the first quarter of 2025.
Each beneficiary received P3,000 covering the monthly stipend of P1,000 for January to March, in line with the updated rate mandated by Republic Act 11916, which took effect in January 2024.
The recipients included 52,407 males and 80,814 females, all aged 60 years and above, who meet the qualifications of being frail, sickly, or disabled, with no regular source of income or pension, and lacking financial support from family members.
Here is the provincial breakdown of beneficiaries and corresponding disbursements:
* Aklan: 11,088 beneficiaries – P33,264,000
* Antique: 1,463 beneficiaries – P4,389,000
* Bacolod City: 5,972 beneficiaries – P17,916,000
* Capiz: 22,308 beneficiaries – P66,924,000
* Guimaras: 1,838 beneficiaries – P5,514,000
* Iloilo: 61,587 beneficiaries – P184,761,000
* Iloilo City: 13,647 beneficiaries – P40,941,000
* Negros Occidental: 15,318 beneficiaries – P45,954,000
The Social Pension (SocPen) Program is anchored on Republic Act 9994 or the “Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.” It aims to help senior citizens meet their daily subsistence and medical needs, enabling them to live with dignity and security.
The increase in monthly stipend from P500 to P1,000, as provided under Republic Act 11916, further strengthens the government’s commitment to uphold the welfare of the elderly population, particularly the most vulnerable./PN