DSWD Field Office Caraga continues first semester payouts of the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens (SocPen) Program.

After catering to the Province of Surigao del Sur and some municipalities from the Province of Surigao del Norte in the first two months of 2023, 61,431 senior citizens have already received their social pension equivalent to Php184,293,000.00 – that is 33.36% of the target number of beneficiaries for the year.

As the payouts continue, schedules for the remaining municipalities and cities in Caraga Region are coordinated through the Local Social Welfare and Development Offices (LSWDOs) for them to further disseminate information to our beneficiaries.

Along with the scheduling is the continued validation and revalidation of potential beneficiaries in the region’s different Local Government Units (LGUs) to ensure that the allocated slots available for the senior citizens are accurately appropriated.

The Social Pension Program Management Officers (SPPMO) request beneficiaries to stay at home and be within reach so that they would be able to claim their stipends to avoid delisting and for them to be properly identified during validation.

The Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens program implementation is in line with the fulfilment of the obligation of government to the most vulnerable sector through social protection and for the full implementation of RA 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.

SocPen provides a monthly stipend amounting to PHP500 to augment indigent senior citizens’ daily subsistence and other medical needs.