Social pensions available for Marawi indigent seniors

By ROCAYA SUMNDAD OTICAL YAHYA

May 23, 2019

MARAWI CITY: Indigent senior citizens of the city are also entitled to the P500 social pension a month aside from the regular privileges as provided for by law, the city social welfare and development office said.

In an interview, CSWD officer Ms. Rismirah Y. Adap told Ranao Star on Wednesday that this social pension can be availed of by senior citizens who are indigents and not receiving any pension from the government.

“This is a special program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) cascaded down to our municipal level,” Adap said. 

She said senior citizens should comply required forms for evaluation and approval before they can avail of the P500 monthly stipend which is given in lump sum. 

Adap said this privilege is in accordance with Republic Act No. 9257 which grants additional benefits to senior citizens amending for the purpose Republic Act No.7432, otherwise known as Senior Citizens Act. 

She added a senior citizen who is at least 60 year old can secure a senior citizen’s ID card together with a booklet from the local Office of Senior Citizen’s Affairs (OSCA) in order to avail of the many privileges granted to senior citizens. 

Such senior citizens privileges include discounts of about 20 percent on hospital and medical expenses, hotel, restaurant and transportation bills, groceries and other basic commodities subject guidelines issued by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Agriculture (DA). 

Adap also said that if the senior citizen’s ID card is lost, their office can replace it. “Ipakita lang ang booklet at mag fill-up ng form to replace it,” she added. 

She said the OSCA sometimes conduct an extension or reach out services to the barangays to give IDs and booklets to persons deemed senior citizens whether they government workers, retired or unemployed. (RSOY/RSP)