DSWD reassures distribution of benefits to elderly in Eastern Visayas

TACLOBAN CITY, Aug. 14 (PNA) -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Eastern Visayas assured that most of the region’s 87,920 elderly social pensioners have been receiving their PHP1,500 quarterly pension.

Of the total pensioners in the region; Leyte has the most number recipients at 31,276, Samar (16, 760), Northern Samar (12, 890), Eastern Samar (12,036), Southern Leyte (10,733), and Biliran (4,225).

Social pensioners are indigent senior citizens aged 60 years and above. Those in the priority list are persons with disabilities and sickly.

DSWD Eastern Visayas Regional Director Restituto Macuto said that efforts are being maximized to ensure that the social pensions will serve its purpose to help the very poor senior citizens, who can hardly buy food and medicines.

The official said that the agency has tied up with the Philippine Veterans Bank to deliver the cash to houses of recipients in remote communities.

The DSWD and Philippine Veterans Bank piloted this initiative in this city, Dulag, Tanauan, La Paz and Julita in Leyte province; Guiuan, Giporlos, Maslog, Jipapad, San Julian and Hernani in Eastern Samar; Macrohon in Southern Leyte; Jiabong, Motiong, and Hinabangan, in Samar.

The DSWD reported that of the 143 cities and towns in the region, at least 108 areas failed to liquidate the social pension funds downloaded to them since last year. In this case, the DSWD normally sends personnel to do the cash pay-out.

“That is very risky because these are millions of pesos carried by our staff, but we take the risk for the sake of beneficiaries,” Macuto said.

Macuto added that they will seek guidance from the Commission on Audit on what to do with LGUs that failed to liquidate funds.

On the issue of bedridden social pensioners, DSWD allows representative of the beneficiary for as long as they have authorization letter signed by them in the presence of a village chief.

“This is to ensure that it is really the beneficiary who asked that a representative gets the social pension,” he explained. (PNA)
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