A total of 726 indigent senior citizens in Bataan received on Thursday their social pension from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista led the distribution of PHP2.178 million to the poor elderlies in Dinalupihan which is part of their stipend for the second semester of the year.

The DSWD started with the first semester of payouts for its social pension program mid-April this year to augment the needs of indigent senior citizens during the enhanced community quarantine.

This is under the DSWD’s Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens program which took effect under Republic Act 9994, the “Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010”.

It provides a PHP500 monthly stipend to poor elderlies to help them in their daily subsistence and medical needs.

It is distributed on a semestral basis at PHP3,000 per semester or PHP500 per month for six months.

DSWD regional director Marites M. Maristela said the cash assistance is meant to be used for the elders’ basic needs, including food and medicines.

The law states that seniors qualified to receive social pension are those who are frail, sickly, or with disability; without any pension from other government agencies; and without a permanent source of income or source of financial assistance/compensation to support their basic needs.

Maristela said the agency will continue to conduct payouts to the identified senior citizen beneficiaries in the region even during the pandemic.

She said that regular verification of beneficiaries is also being conducted by their agency with the support of the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) in every municipality and city in the region.

As of last year, there are some 110,860 social pensioners in Central Luzon. (PNA)