23 Indigent Senior Citizens Avail Social Pension from CSWD in Victorias City


Twenty three indigent senior citizens were granted social pension by the City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) in Victorias City in August.
These seniors are all 77 years old and above; are not receiving any pension from SSS, GSIS and etc., or any monthly allowances/allotment from the family; and are living alone and sickly.
Social Pension for Indigent Filipino senior citizens 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.
Republic Act No. 9994 or the “Expanded Senior Citizen Act of 2010” amended the previous RA9257 “Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2003”, institutionalizes social protection by providing monthly stipend to indigent senior citizens and supports family to provide care to their sick and disabled senior citizens.
The program intends to improve the living condition of eligible indigent senior citizens through the release of stipend @ P500.00/month; to augment capacity of indigent senior citizens to meet their daily subsistence and medical requirements; to reduce incidence of hunger among indigent senior citizens; and to protect indigent citizens from neglect, abuse or deprivation.
Regular cash transfers also increase poor older people’s access to services, particularly health care. As older people live and share resources with younger family members, social pensions have a substantial impact on child well-being and the achievement of Millennium Development Goals 1-6 social pensions contribute to increased school attendance and better nutrition among children. They can play an important role in breaking intergenerational poverty cycles (Help age 2009).
This is designed in such a way that the poorest senior citizens are covered and protected from loss of income and underemployment as a result of illness, injury, disability, harvest failure, etc. (ADB 2006).
                There are estimated 6.3 million elderly Filipinos aged 60 years old and above as of CY 2010 based on the National Statistical Coordinating Board (NSCB) Medium Assumption Population Projection.
Older persons comprise a little over six percent of the total population, but this proportion is expected to higher than 10 percent by 2020 as the number of older person’s doubles by that time (NEDA, Philippines Population projection 1980 – 2030).
Based on the National Statistical Coordinating Board (NSCB 2006) poverty estimates the basic sectors, the magnitude of the poor senior citizen is 1,297,159 and it posted the second largest percentage points of 1.9% increase next to the children sector.
The Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao posted the highest poverty incidence of senior citizen which is at 46.6% and the most number of poor senior citizens are from Regions V, VI and VII (NCSB 2006).
The Philippines has made great strides in promoting the welfare of its people and has ensured the continued participation in development by legislating national policies in response to the emerging needs of the Filipino senior citizens. By: Gari Policarpio/DSWD

City Celebrates Mayor Vero’s 78th Birthday




The City of Victorias joined Mayor Severo Palanca and wished him all the best in celebrating his golden and 28 birthday with a “Wild, Wild West” theme at the Victorias City Sports and Amusement Center last July 18.
The celebration started with a mass followed by a tribute for Mayor Vero’s profound leadership, dedication and service to the City made by his family, friends, constituents and people close to him.
During the event, a ceremonial turn-over of school supplies was done by Mayor Vero along with provincial and local government officials to the DepEd representatives, District I Supervisor Nelda Demegillo, District II Supervisor Laila Fronda.
Mayor Vero was happy that 11, 469 Grade I to VI pupils of District I and II will benefit from the project and that it will help solve the parents’ burden of additional expenses for their children’s school supplies.
Among the special persons who graced the occasion in the life of Mayor Vero were Gov. Alfredo Maranon Jr.; Vice Gov. Genaro Alvarez Jr.; Cong. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez; Board Members Manuel Frederick Ko and Patrick Leonard Lacson; mayors Eric Saratan and David Lacson; former Cong. Jose Carlos Lacson, former Mayor Manuel Escalante III; former Mayor Edilberto Vocal; members of the provincial government heads and city government officials.
The birthday theme had the employees and guests dressed as cowboys and cowgirls in a rodeo-type party filled with songs and dances from the employees and guests namely the City Health Office Selection and Kadalag-an Queen 2011 Jemaimah Taladico plus different performances from celebrities such as the Pinoy Dream Academy grand winner Laarni Lozada, Jack ‘n Poy comedy duo, JC Parker, Katya Santos and Zarah Lopez of the Viva Hot Babes and the Negrense Band, Kulay Pikata. By: Jemaimah Taladico