Bontoc, Mountain Province- Members of the Bontoc Municipal Federation of Senior Citizens of the Philippines underwent a one-day orientation on the Social Pension Program for Indigent Senior Citizens (SPISC) on July 5, 2023, at the Bontoc Municipal Capitol.
The activity was initiated by the DSWD – Social Welfare and Development (SWAD)- Mountain Province in coordination with the Bontoc Local Government Unit (LGU) through the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO).
The activity is an avenue for the implementing agency to explain to the participants the program as they are the partners in providing and explaining accurate and relevant information to their co-senior citizens.
As additional government assistance to the program of the DSWD, SPISC provides a monthly stipend of P500 to augment the daily necessities and other medical needs of indigent senior citizens.
The program seeks to improve the condition of indigent senior citizens by providing for their needs; reducing the incidence of hunger; protecting them from neglect, abuse, deprivation, and natural and man-made disasters.
Project Officer II Jomar Pescador, Jr., of the SWAD-Mountain Province, explained the program’s eligibility criteria.
He highlighted that the senior citizen must be sixty years old and above who is frail, sickly, or with a disability; who has no pension from the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Social Security System (SSS), Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO), Armed Forces and Police Mutual Benefit Association, Inc. (AFPMBAI) or any other insurance company; no permanent source of income; and who has no regular support from family/relatives for his/her basic needs.
The release of the monthly social pension of P500 per beneficiary will be done every six months or P3,000 per semester.
A valid government-issued ID/federation ID indicating the date of birth is required in claiming the stipend during payout.
Ailey Claire Awis and Delia Sarang-ey, who are from SWAD-Mountain Province were also present during the orientation. **Shannon Anthea S. Pagaduan & Alpine Killa-Malwagay, Bontoc LGU
