A total of 15,743 indigent senior citizens in Western Visayas is scheduled to receive their monthly pension starting this month, announced Department of Social Welfare and Development 6.

DSWD 6 Social Welfare Officer II Sueji Ibelgaufts said in a television interview that indigent senior citizens will receive their social pension for the period January to March 2012.

“Social pension is the monthly stipend amounting to P500 to augment the daily subsistence and other medical needs of indigent senior citizens. It is in line with the fulfillment of the obligation of the government to protect the most vulnerable sector through social protection, and for the full implementation of the Republic Act No. 9994 otherwise known as the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010 which amended RA 9257 of 2003,” Ibelgaufts said.

Ibelgaufts said each beneficiary will get P1,500 for the three-month period and noted that distribution of pension is on quarterly basis which started in January 2011.

Priority beneficiaries of the social pension are senior citizens, 77 years old and above, as per the list of beneficiaries identified from the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction of the DSWD, said Ibelgaufts.

She said that some 2,762 beneficiaries were added to last year’s beneficiaries of 12,981, making the region’s beneficiaries to 15,743 this year.

Of the 133 municipalities and cities in the six provinces of Western Visayas, some 1,835 are beneficiaries for Aklan; Antique – 2,077; Capiz – 1,699; Guimaras – 583; Iloilo – 6,021; and Negros Occidental – 3,528.*PIA