Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 28)— The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) clarified on Tuesday that there are no backlogs in its distribution of the P500 monthly social pension for the elderly, but there are 466,000 indigent senior citizens still on the waitlist since additional funding is still needed.
DSWD Assistant Secretary Romel Lopez said in a report that more than 4.1 million indigent seniors included in the program are receiving a P500 monthly stipend in their social pension.
“Baka po kasi nami-mix up natin na ang backlog ay may kinalaman una sa late na payout namin, hindi po,” Lopez said. “Up to now, ang atin pong payout when it comes to senior citizens ay on time. Wala po tayong backlogs when it comes to payment.”
[Translation: Perhaps, there might be a mix-up, thinking that the backlog is the result of a delay in our payouts. Up to now, our payouts for senior citizens have been on time. We do not have any backlog in terms of payment.]
The clarification was made after Senator Sonny Angara called out the DSWD to resolve its alleged delays in giving the social pension.
“Nakakabahala ang binanggit ng DSWD na mayroong 466,000 na backlog sa pagbibigay ng social pension para sa ating mga lolo at lola na walang kahit anuman na suportang nakukuha mula sa kanilang mga kamag-anak,” Angara said during the discussion on the proposed budget of the DSWD.
[Translation: It’s alarming to know that there is a 466,000 backlog in the distribution of social pensions for our elders who do not receive any support from relatives.]
The DSWD explained that the 466,000 senior citizens referred to are waitlisted and are not yet included in the program. Lopez also said that 93,000 senior citizens are being removed from the list.
“Iyong discrepancy between sa waitlisted and nag-e-exit ay masyadong malayo, and that is the very reason kung bakit may backlog po tayo,” he said.
[Translation: There is a huge discrepancy between the waitlisted and those exiting the program. That is the very reason why we have a backlog.]
Lopez also said that the agency will give pensioners an additional P500 next year once Republic Act (RA) 11916 or the Act Increasing the Social Pension of Indigent Senior Citizens is approved.
Under the law, beneficiaries must meet the following criteria:
-Frail, sickly or with a disability
-Without pension from the Social Security System (SSS), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) or from any source of pension in government and private agencies
-Without any permanent source of income, compensation or financial assistance from relatives to support their basic needs.
Meanwhile, the DSWD said in a separate statement on Tuesday that it will roll out its ‘Pag-Abot sa Pasko’ or reach-out program to vulnerable and at-risk families in Quezon City and Eastern Metro Manila.
