The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has reiterated the guidelines, qualifications, and application process for the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens (SPISC) program following public inquiries regarding the monthly stipend for elderly Filipinos.

“Beneficiaries of the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens are those aged 60 and above, with illness or disability, without pension from the Social Security System (SSS) or the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), and without any regular source of income,” Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said in an interview.

The DSWD spokesperson added that the social pension program is intended to provide monthly support for the daily subsistence and medical needs of indigent senior citizens.

According to Dumlao, the social pension for indigent senior citizens is a monthly stipend given to poor fellow citizens in accordance with the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.

She added that the SPISC is a government-funded subsidy provided directly to indigent elderly Filipinos, unlike contributory pension systems such as the Social Security System (SSS).

Dumlao also urged the public to be vigilant and rely only on official government communication platforms for accurate information on government social welfare programs.

Meanwhile, the SPISC program continues to support vulnerable sectors, especially indigent senior citizens, with timely and adequate assistance from the national government.