BACOLOD City – The city government is set to release local social pensions for indigent senior citizens by the end of June. However, only those aged 70 years old and up will be prioritized.
This will be the first release after the SangguniangPanlungsod (SP) approved last year the ordinance providing social pension for indigent senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs) of this city.
Due to the reduction in this year’s National Tax Allotment (formerly the Internal Revenue Allotment, or IRA), not all indigent senior citizens will be receiving assistance from the city this year, according to Councilor Celia Flor, chairperson of the SP committee on senior citizens and veterans affairs.
Based on the ordinance, the city shall appropriate P100 million under the City Mayor’s Office for the program’s implementation.
However, budget constraints have only allowed the city a P50-million appropriation this year.
This could cover about 8,333 senior citizens. PWDs are yet to be included in the budget.
Senior citizens aged 60 to 69 could receive theirs next year, the councilor added.
Each of the beneficiaries will receive P6,000 annually or P500 per month.
The release of pensions should be quarterly, but the delayed submission of validated lists from the barangays pushed it to the last week of the month.
Indigent senior citizens qualified for the program are those who do not receive any form of contributory pension, as well as individuals receiving not more than P5,000 monthly from a contributory pension (Government Service Insurance System, Philippine Veterans Affairs Office, Social Security System) and the social pension program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
The ordinance further states that those qualified are without a permanent source of income, compensation, or financial assistance from relatives to support their basic needs and must be registered voters and residents of this city for at least one year./PN
