244 senior citizens in IP community in Magpet receive pension
By Danilo E. Doguiles / Philippine Information Agency
MAGPET, Cotabato Province -- Some 244 indigent senior citizens in Barangay Manobo, this municipality, received their social pensions from the government earlier than expected.
During the Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP) Serbisyo Caravan in Manobo on Tuesday, 10 senior citizens received P3,000 each as social pensions covering the period July to December, 2020. Previous releases were given one to two months after the end of a semester.
Bonifacio Selma, assistant regional director of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 12 and Cotabato Province Gov. Nancy Catamco led the distribution of cash aid to the beneficiaries.
ARD Selma told Philippine Information Agency that 234 more indigent senior citizens got their social pensions in a payout on Wednesday, November 11.
Earlier this year, the beneficiary elderly received their first semester pension through the local government unit of Magpet.
Selma explained that because of the coronavirus pandemic, DSWD 12 decided to download the financial aid for scheduled handout of social pensions in each barangay under its jurisdiction so that health protocols such as wearing of face mask and social distancing are followed.
Meanwhile, beneficiaries of the conditional cash grants to beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) regularly get their government aid through ATM, he added.
Magpet has 4,145 4Ps beneficiaries; 455 of them are residents of Barangay Manobo.
During the caravan, Selma explained to the residents of the indigenous people community that apart from providing social pension to indigent senior citizens and cash grants to qualified families under 4Ps for which their office is known, DSWD has several other services such as supplemental feeding and early childhood care and development; care for abused children and women; rehabilitation of children in conflict with the law; community development projects and many others. (DED-PIA XII)