More than 4 million indigent senior citizens in the Philippines are receiving support for their health and daily needs through the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens (SPISC) program, an official reported on Wednesday.
The SPISC is available to Filipinos aged 60 and above who are frail, sickly, or disabled, and lack regular income or family support. Under Republic Act 11916, the monthly pension will increase from PHP500 to PHP1,000 starting January 2024, reflecting the government’s commitment to assist seniors with rising costs of medicine and food.
According to the DSWD, the program currently supports 4,085,066 indigent senior citizens, providing monthly financial aid to alleviate medical and living expenses. Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao announced a shift from semi-annual to monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly payouts beginning July 2024 to enhance accessibility and timeliness of aid distribution.
To improve efficiency, cash cards are being used for digital disbursement in selected areas. “Layunin ng DSWD na hindi mahirapan ang mga senior citizens sa pagkuha ng kanilang benepisyo. Kaya unti-unti na tayong lumilipat sa digital disbursement,” the DSWD spokesperson stated.
The DSWD remains committed to ensuring that no senior citizen is left behind in terms of health and well-being, in line with directives from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
For 71-year-old Merlinda Tudlasan from Island Garden City of Samal in Davao del Norte, the PHP3,000 social pension she received for the second quarter of 2025 is a “big help” in her daily life. “Dako kaayo ning tabang kay naa nakoy pangpalit ug tambal sakong maintenance ug naa nasad koy pangpalit ug sud-an. Daghang salamat sa Social Pension Program ni DSWD sa PHP3,000 nga ayuda ug sa pagtagad sa nanginahanglan nga mga senior citizens sama nako,” she expressed.