House panel pushes for quarterly release of seniors’ pension

The House of Representatives’ Special Committee on Senior Citizen has adopted a resolution urging the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to release the monthly social pension of senior citizens every three months instead of every six months as currently done.

Chaired by Senior Citizens Party-list Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes, the committee adopted House Resolution 1047 which points out that indigent senior citizens need timely financial assistance amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez, the resolution’s author, noted that the pandemic has caused the displacement of many Filipino workers, including senior citizens who are still productive members of society.

“The Covid-19 pandemic affected and disrupted the lives of all Filipinos during the first half of 2020, and with the end to this pandemic still nowhere in sight as the number of cases still continue to increase,” he said, adding that waiting every six months to receive assistance is too long for indigent senior citizens.

The release of the P500 monthly social pension per beneficiary is done every six months or PHP3,000 per semester, as provided under Memorandum Circular No. 4, series of 2019.

The House special panel also acted on House Resolution 656, which calls for a probe, in aid of legislation, of the alleged anomalous and illegal delay or lack of disbursement of the social pension fund to senior citizens.

Ordanes said his office has received numerous complaints from indigent senior citizens who have been deprived of their pension due to undue delay in their disbursement.