Some 102 indigent senior citizens of Catarman town received their social pension for the first time, last May 17, 2011, at the Farmers’ Training Center of the University of Eastern Philippines in same municipality of Northern Samar.

DSWD Undersecretary Celia Yangco personally handed the cash grants, with the help of Senior Board Member Joel Layon, Catarman Mayor   Rolando Carpio, Jr., DSWD Region Eight Director Leticia Corillo, and DSWD Assistant Regional Director Jaime Eclavea.

Yangco, in her speech, said the pension is intended to add resources for the family, specifically for food, medicine, and other needs; as well as protect the senior citizens from being used by people who take advantage of their being poor.

The said elderly citizens, aged 77 years old and above, received each Php 1, 500.00 as pension for January to March of this year.

Milagros Franzuela Balasolla, the Provincial Federation of Senior Citizens Association president, reported that Catarman has organized senior citizens groups down to the barangay level. It has 37 barangay chapters, with more than a thousand members.

The town has a total of 54 barangays.