CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA) -- Beneficiaries of the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens (SPISC) Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development are set to receive an enhanced monthly stipend of P1,000, beginning in 2024, in response to the provisions outlined in Republic Act No. 11916. 

Enacted in July 2022, Republic Act No. 11916, also known as “An Act Increasing the Social Pension of Indigent Senior Citizens and Appropriating Funds,” mandates a 100 percent increase in the monthly pension of the Lolos and Lolas, raising it from Php500 to Php1,000, with funding secured through Republic Act No. 11975, or the General Appropriations Act for FY 2024.

In adherence to the act, DSWD Field Office-10 will implement semestral payouts, ensuring beneficiaries receive a cumulative total of P6,000 to support their basic subsistence. 

The SPISC program aims to enhance the quality of life for eligible indigent senior citizens by augmenting their daily subsistence and medical needs, mitigating hunger, and safeguarding them from neglect, abuse, or deprivation. The program extends its coverage to indigent senior citizens without a stable income, lacking regular support from family or relatives, or not receiving pensions from other institutions.

DSWD Field Office-10 believes that this increase in the monthly stipend is a crucial step in affirming the dignity and well-being of indigent senior citizens. (DSWD-10/PIA-10)