By Claro A. Lanipa
PAGADIAN CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development Regional Office 9
(DSWD-9) will conduct a series of re-orientation and consultation dialogue
among social pensioners and stakeholders on the Social Pension Program of the
government.
Social Pension Regional
Coordinator Evelyn Lingatong said the dialogue will take place in Aurora,
Margosatubig and Lakewood, Zamboanga del Sur on June 19, 20 & 21, 2013
respectively.
The activity will focus on
the review of the department’s Administrative Order No. 15 Sections 3 and 4
which states the operational procedure in the implementation of the Social
Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens (SPISC).
The SPISC is one of the
provisions stated under Section 5 of Republic Act No. 9994 otherwise known as
the “Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.”
It is an additional
government assistance in the amount of P500.00 as monthly stipend to augment
the daily subsistence and other medical needs of indigent senior citizens.
According to Section 3 of
RA 9994, an indigent senior citizen is as an elderly aged 77 year old and
above; frail, sickly or with disability; not receiving any other pensions and
with no permanent source of income, compensation and not receiving any
financial assistance from relatives to support his/her basic needs.
“To date, Zamboanga del
Sur has a total 5,412 social pension beneficiaries out of 17,296 in the entire
Zamboanga Peninsula Region,” Lingatong said.
Issues and concerns about
the program will also be tackled during the activity after which will be the
assessment and evaluation. (PIA9)