A total of 1,271 indigent senior citizens in Eastern Visayas have been approved as new beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Social Pension Program for Indigent Senior Citizens (SPISC) for the second semester of 2026.
The newly approved beneficiaries are part of Batch 1 of the agency’s ongoing beneficiary selection process, which uses the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) to identify senior citizens who may qualify for the program.
“The use of CBMS allows the agency to identify indigent senior citizens based on the government’s official socio-economic database, helping ensure that assistance is directed to those who are most in need,” the regional social welfare office said in a statement on Thursday.
Following the cross-matching, the DSWD, in coordination with local government units, conducts field validation to verify beneficiaries’ information and eligibility.
The agency said the process is being implemented in accordance with Republic Act 11315, or the Community-Based Monitoring System Act.
While 1,271 senior citizens have already been approved under Batch 1, more than 6,037 potential beneficiaries under Batch 2 are undergoing assessment and processing. Validation of potential beneficiaries under Batch 3 is also ongoing based on the list generated from the CBMS.
The DSWD expects more qualified indigent senior citizens in Eastern Visayas to be included in the program in the succeeding quarters as the screening and validation process continues.
Through the expanded and data-driven identification process, the agency aims to ensure that social pension assistance reaches senior citizens who are qualified and in need of additional social protection.
The social pension for the elderly is part of the government’s social protection efforts to improve the quality of life of indigent senior citizens and provide them with additional support for their basic needs.
Each qualified indigent senior citizen receives a stipend of PHP1,000 per month for the entire year, with the funds released quarterly.
During the first two quarters of 2026, the DSWD has released PHP1.59 billion in social pension funds to indigent senior citizens. (PNA)
