In the small town of Tungao, Butuan City, Agusan del Norte, lives a 90-year-old senior citizen, Teodora S. Basig, who continues to embody strength and resilience.

She is one of the first batch beneficiaries of the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens (SPISC) Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office Caraga. Nanay Teodora’s journey displays how government support can bring comfort and significance to the lives of indigent senior citizens.

During every payout, she is lovingly assisted by her daughter, Charlita B. Palen, who pushes her wheelchair and carefully helps her receive her pension.

“I have been receiving the pension since the start of the Social Pension program,” Nanay Teodora shared, becoming a living testament to the program’s continuity and commitment to senior citizens.

The said program provides additional financial assistance to indigent senior citizens to help them meet their daily subsistence and medical needs. For Nanay Teodora, the pension is spent wisely—on rice, viand, and especially medicine.

“I was able to buy rice, viands, and medicine,” she said softly.

Nanay Teodora suffers from high blood pressure, which has affected her mobility. “I can’t walk because I have high blood pressure,” she explained. Because of her condition, regular medication is essential.

The pension plays a crucial role in ensuring that she can purchase maintenance medicines and other necessities. Without it, meeting daily needs would be much harder for her and her family.

Now, she expressed relief and gratitude, “It makes me happy that we have something to use to buy what we need,” she added. Having something to rely on, no matter how modest, brings peace of mind.

“I am grateful that the Social Pension has helped by providing additional support for purchasing our basic needs,” she said, thanking the program filled with sincerity.

As her daughter gently wheels her forward, reflects a definition of love, family support, and a government that continues to make a meaningful difference in the twilight years of its beneficiaries.

Her gratitude echoes the sentiments of many senior citizens across the region who benefit from the initiative. DSWD Field Office Caraga, through the Social Pension Program, continues to uphold its commitment to protect and promote the welfare of vulnerable sectors, ensuring that elderly citizens like Nanay Teodora live with dignity, care, and support.

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