Indigent senior citizens who are part of the Social Pension program by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) are to receive an increase in their benefits. The monthly assistance has been funded through the institution’s budget for 2024, with the pension approved to soar from ₱500 to ₱1,000. According to Assistant Secretary Romel Lopez, the distribution of the updated amount will begin in February 2024.
The Republic Act 11916, becoming law in July 2022, is what resulted in this outcome, with the initiative aiming to help citizens counter the effects of inflation. Basic commodities such as rice and other goods are heavily affected by economic repercussions; hence, The Social Pension program ensures the protection of its stakeholders, including sickly or disabled indigent senior citizens who may not have stable sources of income. On a semestral basis, target beneficiaries will receive ₱6,000 per payout to help support their subsistence and medical needs.
Approximately 4,085,066 indigent senior citizens will benefit from this program, and they can surely anticipate the improvement in the financial support they receive.
