More than 5,000 indigent senior citizens from six towns and one city in Albay province have received their pensions from the provincial government covering April to June this year.

In an interview on Wednesday, Christina Llanto, Albay Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) focal person for senior citizens’ affairs said the distribution started on Sept. 4 and subsequently, on Sept. 5-9, 11, 12 and 13.

She said they are fast-tracking the distribution since the election ban on the grant of “ayuda” or monetary assistance will start on Sept. 15.

“We have a total of 16,599 indigent senior citizens beneficiaries and at least 5,000 of them already received the social pension in the province of Albay. We started last Sept. 4 in Manito town and Legazpi City; Sept. 5 in Daraga and Camalig and Wednesday, personnel of PSWDO were in Rapu-Rapu, Guinobatan, and Jovellar,” Llanto said.

“The beneficiaries are indigent senior citizens who do not receive pensions from the national government. Each pensioner receives PHP1,500 for three months or a total of PHP24.8 million funded by the provincial government,” Llanto said.

She noted that the beneficiaries were validated by the PSWDO, Office for Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) and Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) of the area where they reside.

“They are not pensioners of the Social Security System, Government Service Insurance System, and DSWD regional office since there is a separate list of indigent pensioners that are already receiving social pension. This is to ensure that no duplication of beneficiaries,” she said.

On Thursday, PSWDO personnel will be in the towns of Oas and Libon; Sept. 8 in Polangui and Pio Duran; Sept. 9 in Ligao City and Bacacay; Sept. 11 in Malilipot and Sto. Domingo; Sept. 12 in Tiwi and Maliano and Sept. 13 in Tabaco City. (PNA)