First Lady, Gatchalian lead social pension payout for poor seniors

First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos and Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian led the ceremonial payout of the increased social pension for indigent senior citizens on Friday (2 February) at the DSWD Central Office in Batasan, Quezon City.

The payout for the first batch of indigent seniors from Quezon City marked the culmination of the DSWD's 73rd Founding Anniversary.

In his speech,Gatchalian emphasized that the social pension payout for older persons is the Marcos administration’s way of recognizing the significant role of senior citizens in their respective families and in society as a whole.

“Alam ko na marami sa inyo na bagamat may edad na ay patuloy na naglalagay ng pagkain sa hapag, patuloy na nagtatrabaho para matustusan ang mga pangangailangan ng pamilya. Higit sa lahat alam ko na marami sa inyo ay kayo pa rin ang nagpapalaki ng inyong mga apo dahil busy sa trabaho ang inyong mga anak. Iyan ang mga kwento ng sakripisyo na gusto naming parangalan ngayon araw, (I know that many of you, despite your age, continue to put food on the table, persistently working to provide for the needs of your families. Above all, I am aware that many of you are the ones raising your grandchildren because your children are busy with work. These are the stories of sacrifices that we want to honor today.)” Sec. Gatchalian pointed out.

The DSWD chief expressed his gratitude to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the First Lady for prioritizing the welfare of senior citizens, as part of the current administration’s Bagong Pilipinas initiatives.

“Makaka-asa po kayo na sa Bagong Pilipinas, prayoridad natin ang ating mga senior citizen. Hinding-hindi kayo maiiwanan. Yan ang kabilin-bilinan ng ating mahal na pangulo at ng ating unang ginang na kasama natin ngayong umaga(In ‘Bagong Pilipinas’, you can rest assured that our senior citizens are our priority. You will never be left behind. That is the commitment of our beloved President and our first lady who is with us this morning.),” Sec. Gatchalian stressed.

Some 250 indigent senior citizens from different barangays in Quezon City received their social pension for the first semester of 2024 worth P6,0000, which was personally handed out by the First Lady and the DSWD Secretary.

Republic Act No. 11916 or an Act Increasing the Social Pension of Indigent Senior Citizens which lapsed into law in July 2022, provides for a 100 percent increase in the monthly pension of indigent seniors from P500 to P1,000 to further help the vulnerable sector cushion the impact of high inflation.

“Ang batas na ito ay parangal sa mga sakripisiyo, malasakit, at pagmamahal na walang sawang ipinagkakaloob ng ating mga lolo at lola(This law is a tribute to the sacrifices, care, and endless love bestowed upon us by our grandparents.),” Sec. Gatchalian explained.

In her message, the First Lady, who was the event’s guest of honor, underscored the role of the social workers, which she referred as “the heart and soul of the DSWD”, in the development, implementation, and delivery of social protection and welfare services to the most vulnerable and marginalized sectors.

“Your empathy in action, integrity in service, and unity in community are the guiding principles that make the DSWD an invaluable force for good in our nation,” the

FIrst Lady said.

Addressing the senior citizens present in the payout, First Lady Araneta-Marcos said: “So, sa mga lolo at lola diyan [So, to all the seniors out there], you are in good hands with DSWD”.

Social pension beneficiary Nanay Rosita Lopez, 71, from Barangay Batasan Hills, said she is thankful for the additional amount of pension from the government.

“Masaya po ako na nadagdagan ang aming social pension. Malaking tulong siya sa aming mahihirap (We are happy that the social pension has increased. It's a significant help to us who are in need.),” Nanay Rosita said.

She added, she uses her pension for their daily needs, such as food as well as water and electricity bills.

“Dagdag na siya. Kasi wala naman kaming pinagkakakitaan na iba. Kaya kung ano ang mga kailangan sa bahay [ginagamit namin ang pension], (It is an additional amount. It's now part of what sustains us because we don't have other sources of income. So, whatever we need at home we use the pension.)" Nanay Rosita said.

Meanwhile, Gatchalian assured senior citizens that the increased pension is just the first of the many plans of the current administration to protect their welfare and well-being.

“Sa katunayan, itong isang libo kada buwan ay pauna pa lamang sa marami pang programa na inilalatag at iniisip na ng ating Pangulo at ng ating Unang Ginang upang mapakita pa ng husto ang kanilang pagmamahal para sa ating mga lolo at lola,” the DSWD chief said.

(In fact, this one thousand pesos per month is just the beginning of other programs that our President and our first lady are considering and laying out to more fully demonstrate their love for our older persons.)

The monthly social pension for seniors is given to qualified beneficiaries on a semestral basis with a total amount of Php6,000 per payout to augment their daily subsistence and other medical needs.

Some 4,085,066 indigent senior citizens are covered by the social pension program for the year 2024.

Joining the First Lady and the DSWD chief during the ceremonial payout were Undersecretary for Operations Group Monina Josefina H. Romualdez, Assistant Secretary for Regional Operations Paul D. Ledesma, and Field Office National Capital Region Regional Director, Atty. Michael Joseph J. Lorico.