Despite a huge increase in the number of indigent senior citizens included in the waiting list of the government social pension program, the House of Representatives is not likely to address the problem by increasing budgetary allocation for the program in 2025.

This was gathered after the House Committee on Appropriations approved the P49.81 billion proposed allocation for next year's implementation of the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens.

The amount retained the same budget proposal of P49.81 billion granted by Congress for the current year’s SPISC implementation.

With no increase in budgetary allocation for the program, some 612,000 indigent senior citizens will continue to be placed in the waiting list of recipients of the P1,000 monthly social pension from government.

The number of elderly Filipinos who are being denied what the law grants them has increased from just over 300,000 in 2023 to 466,000 this year.

However, latest figure released by the Department of Social Welfare and Development placed the wait listed number to 612,000.

These indigent seniors have applied for and were later qualified for inclusion in the social pension program.

Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian disclosed during the recently held budget hearing that at least 94.86 percent of the current budget of P49.8 billion had already been disbursed to qualified recipients.

In the same budget hearing, Camarines Sur 2nd District Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte said that the appropriations panel will approve the additional P3 billion sought by DSWD for the implementation of the amended Centenarian Law.

The new law provided for the grant of P10,000 cash gift to elderly folk who reach 80, 85, 90 and 95 years old. A P100,000 cash gift will also be granted supers seniors who reach 100.

During the hearing Villafuerte called on local government units to help the National Commission of Senior Citizens, Department of Information and Communications Technology and SWD in establishing a national data base of senior citizens.

“An accurate cataloguing of Filipino citizens who are 60 years and above is crucial for the full implementation of Republic Act 11916 and 11982, in step with President Marcos’ Bagong Pilipnas vision of leaving no Filipino behind in his government's quest for sustained and high inclusive growth,” said Villafuerte.