THE Department of Social Welfare and Development-Davao Region (DSWD-Davao) announced that the Social Pension (SocPen) program currently serves around 284,740 senior citizen beneficiaries.
During the Kapehan sa PIA on Friday, December 13, 2024, at NCCC Victoria, Gemma D. Dela Cruz, Protective Services Division Chief of DSWD-Davao, said the region reached its target number of beneficiaries. She added that senior citizens on the waitlist will only be accommodated if vacancies arise.
“As much as we wanted na ma cater tanan sa waitlisted but then naa lang gyud tay regional target na given sa atoa that is the 284,740 and wala na pod tay nadugang (As much as we want to include everyone on the waitlist, we are limited by our regional target of 284,740 beneficiaries and cannot add more at this time),” she said.
She said budget constraints prevent the department from increasing the number of beneficiaries, but specific criteria have been set to prioritize those who will be added when slots open.
Each municipality, province, and city has an allocated number of beneficiaries. If an area’s list is full, applicants may be referred to another.
DSWD assured the public that there is no “backer system” in place. Social workers assigned to each area coordinate closely with Local Government Units (LGUs) to ensure beneficiaries on the master list meet the program's criteria.
"Kana siya gina ensure gyud natu nga walay mga ma left behind na social pensioner or senior citizen sa area (This ensures that no social pensioner or senior citizen is left behind),” she said.
As of the latest report, approximately 220,065 beneficiaries—or 77.30 percent—have already received their pensions, funded by a total allocation of P2.78 billion. The payouts for October to December are ongoing, with earlier periods achieving high service rates: 99.23 percent from January to June and 98.76 percent from July to September.
SocPen provides senior citizens with financial assistance to support daily needs such as medication, food, and protection from neglect or deprivation. RGP
