MESSAGE OF DSWD SECRETARY REX GATCHALIAN for the SENIOR TIMES
DECEMBER 18, 2024

There is a saying that Christmas is for children. But I also believe that Christmas is for everyone, particularly for our elderly – our beloved senior citizens.

Senior Citizens are among the vulnerable groups in our society,  most especially the more than 4 million indigent seniors who are the beneficiaries of the Social Pension (Soc-Pen) Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

The SocPen Program provides regular financial assistance to elderly Filipinos living below the poverty line, which is subject to further qualifications provided in the law. In 2023, the DSWD successfully served 4.2 million indigent senior citizens, exceeding our target by 3.2 percent.

And starting January 2025, the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) will be the lead agency in the implementation of Republic Act 10868 of the Centenarians Act of 2016.

Itinatadhana ng Centenarians Act of 2016 ang pagbibigay ng karadagdang benepisyo na Php100,000 cash grant sa mga older persons na umabot na sa 100 taong gulang.

Sinisiguro naman ng Expanded Centenarians Act na ang mga Senior Citizens edad 80, 85, 90, at 95 ay makakatanggap ng Php10,000 cash grant. At pagsapit naman ng edad na 100 taon ay makakatanggap pa rin sila ng Php100,000.

Last year, the DSWD together with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the National Cooperatives Development Authority (NCDA) and the NCSC signed a Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) that aims to prioritize and ensure that all government agencies, including Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs) and academic institutions, will judiciously allot a portion of their budget for the benefit and welfare of Senior Citizens and Persons with Disabilities.

This new JMC is a spin-off from a similar memorandum circular jointly signed by the DSWD and DBM some 20 years ago. The DSWD-DBM JMC provided guidelines to ensure that all agencies of government ser aside at least one percent (1%) of their total budget to programs, projects, activities and/or services for the elderly and persons with disabilities.

In 2013, the DSWD-DBM JMC was amended with a new provision that states: “All agencies of the government shall formulate plans, programs and projects intended to address the concerns of Senior Citizens and Persons with Disabilities, in so far as it relates to their mandated functions and integrate the same in their regular activities.”

The DSWD is working closely with the DBM, NCDA and NCSC in implementing the JMC to be able to establish points of convergence and ensure consistency in the creation of programs, projects, services and activities for the concerned sectors.

Makakaasa ang ating mga Senior Citizens ng patuloy na pagkalinga sa ating pamahalaan. Para naman sa mga indigent seniors, patuloy ninyong matatanggap ang inyong social pension mula sa DSWD.

Maligayang Pasko sa ating mga Seniors. Masaganang Bagong Taon sa ating lahat.