The Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office VIII, through the Social Pension Program, has now completed the transfer of social pension funds for the 1st semester of fiscal year 2024 to the 142 local government units (LGUs) implementing the Transfer of Fund Modality (ToF) in Eastern Visayas, with a total fund allocation of P1,722,063,000.00.
With the effectivity of Republic Act 11916, or the Act Increasing the Social Pension of Indigent Senior Citizens and Appropriating Funds, last January 2024, in conjunction with the implementation of the FY 2024 General Appropriations Act, the monthly social pension stipend for each beneficiary has now increased from P500.00 to Php1,000.00 to primarily respond to and support their daily subsistence and medical needs.
As of June 20, 2024, the Field Office VIII has now served a total of 164,646 senior citizen beneficiaries all over the region: 14,356 senior citizens in the Province of Biliran; 68,436 beneficiaries in the Province of Leyte; 24,652 beneficiaries in the Province of Southern Leyte; 23,872 beneficiaries in the Province of Samar; 14,766 beneficiaries and 18,564 beneficiaries in the Provinces of Eastern and Northern Samar, respectively, with a total fund disbursed of ₱987,569,000.00.
The 142 LGUs have been extending their continuing efforts to disburse the stipend before the end of the first semester. Further, one (1) LGU in the region will undergo a cash payout to be facilitated by a Special Disbursement Officer (SDO) expected to be implemented within the year.
Under the Transfer of Fund Modality, which has been identified as the most feasible and efficient delivery scheme for the distribution of the social pension in the region, the total allocated fund for the beneficiaries will be transferred and disbursed by the LGUs on a semestral basis, allowing a streamlined and cost-effective implementation of the program.