Davao city: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 11 (Davao Region) announced Tuesday that they began distributing the fourth quarter social pension to indigent seniors in this city and Davao Occidental province. During the first week of the payout from Oct. 13 to 17, the agency said about 20,000 indigent senior citizens received PHP3,000 each in financial assistance for October, November, and December.

According to Philippines News Agency, this distribution is part of the Social Pension Program targeting impoverished senior citizens who lack steady income or family support. The program provides a monthly stipend of PHP1,000 to qualifying indigent seniors aged 60 and above. The DSWD-11 emphasized their commitment to continue providing assistance amidst the ongoing aftershocks in the region, focusing on helping the elderly population meet essential needs such as food and medicine.

The eligibility criteria for the program include being frail, sickly, or having a disability, and lacking a regular income source or pension from government agencies like the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Social Security System (SSS), or the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO). The initiative aims to support daily living and medical expenses, reduce hunger, and protect seniors from neglect, abuse, and deprivation.