About 12,000 targeted indigent senior citizens in Bacolod will avail of P500 monthly social pensions each starting 2023 or a total of P6,000 a year.
The qualified indigent senior citizens do not need to apply for coverage as they have already been identified in a survey conducted by the Department of Social Services and Development Office, Pacita Tero, DSSDO head, said on Thursday, January 5.
Senior citizens qualified for coverage must not have any other sources of income or pension, no family supporting them and cannot fend for themselves, she said.
Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, in his first 100 days report, said targeted for assistance are about 12,000 lest privileged senior citizens.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development is providing assistance to 5,800 senior citizens and the city government will assist about 7,000, Tero said.
The DSSDO will validate the existence of the senior citizens included in the survey list.
The payout of the pension will be every six months, with the first payout covering January to June this year, she said.
The Bacolod Social Pension for Seniors ordinance was authored by Councilor Celia Flor.*