The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) should resolve the issues that are causing the delays in the distribution of the social pension for indigent senior citizens, Sen. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara said on Monday, November 27. 

The senator said nearly P50-billion is allocated under the proposed 2024 budget of the DSWD for the P1,000 a month social pension of over four million indigent senior citizens.

Angara said he finds it worrisome for the DSWD to mention that the huge backlog for social pension which is very important to the elderly who have nothing to rely on for their daily needs.

“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 (It’s disturbing that the DSWD mentioned there are 466,000 backlog in the grant of social pension for our grandfathers and grandmothers who are not getting any financial support from their relatives),” Angara said in a statement.

“Sila ay walang regular na pension na natatanggap at karamihan din sa kanila ay walang naipon na pera (They do not receive any regular pension and most of them also have no savings),” Angara said.

As one of the authors of Republic Act 11916 or the law that doubled the social pension for indigent senior citizens from P6,000 to P12,000 a year, the senator urged the DSWD to immediately address the issues hounding the release of their pension. 

During the interpellations on the proposed budget of the DSWD for next year, it was revealed that the backlog in the distribution of the social pension has reached an estimated P5-billion already.

For the past three years, the average budget for the social pension for senior citizens has been at P25-billion. 

The Social Pension for Indigent Seniors Program, which is administered by the agency, will benefit over four million elderly Filipinos who have no regular income or support from family and who are not receiving any pension.

“For indigent seniors, the monthly social pension would help a lot as an augmentation to their daily expenses and for their medical needs,” Angara said.

“We are inquiring into the causes of these delays and appealing to the DSWD to resolve this at the soonest possible time,” he further stressed. 

At the same time, the lawmaker reminded all concerned merchants to honor the legally mandated discounts and privileges for seniors. 

Angara made the call in light of reports that there are still some establishments that fail to provide these for one reason or another, citing a recent report that involved a senior citizen who filed a complaint against a hotel for allegedly refusing to grant her the 20 percent discount and exemption from the Value Added Tax (VAT) for her stay at the establishment. 

Based on the report, the hotel claimed the senior guest was provided with a promotional rate already so she could no longer avail of any additional discounts. 

But when the guest asked the hotel for proof that the promotion was approved by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) as required by the Consumer Act of the Philippines, the establishment failed to provide this. 

The guest has since decided to file a complaint against the establishment.

“These benefits and privileges are being provided to senior citizens and also to persons with disabilities to provide them with some financial relief when availing goods and services for their consumption,” Angara pointed out. 

“Their circumstances, more often than not, are significantly different from the rest of society and so we in Congress saw it fit to provide them with such benefits. We appeal to our partners in the private sector to honor all valid transactions of our seniors and for the concerned agencies in government to enforce the applicable laws,” the senator said.