DSWD CARAGA Surpasses Target, Serves 187K Seniors in 2022

Butuan City – The Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office Caraga (DSWD FO Caraga), Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens (SocPen) program completed its 2022 payouts to 187,785 senior citizens in the region surpassing its target of 184,700 beneficiaries disbursing PHP1,087,357,500.00.

The number of beneficiaries per head count and corresponding amounts of assistance per province were tallied as follows: Agusan del Norte with 44,545 beneficiaries at Php257,620,500.00; Agusan del Sur – 48,364 (PHP280,278,000.00); Province of Dinagat Islands – 11,660 (PHP67,642,500.00); Surigao del Norte – 37, 608 (PHP217,335,000.00); and Surigao del Sur – 45, 608 (PHP264,481,500.00).

Protective Services Division (PSD) Chief Jessie Catherine B. Aranas highlighted the efforts of the Social Pension Program Management Officers (SPPMO) in doubling their efforts to exceed the Agency’s Office Performance Contract (OPC) which meant they have catered to more beneficiaries that need the government assistance.

Social Pension Program Focal Person Rachel B. Bade on the other hand expressed her gratitude to the Local Government Units (LGUs), “We are always thankful for the assistance and cooperation of the LGUs for the full implementation of the Social Pension Program that has been instrumental to the success of its performance in 2022.”

The SocPen program is in line with the fulfillment of the obligation of the government to the most vulnerable sector through social protection and for the full implementation of RA 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.

It provides a monthly stipend amounting to PHP500 to augment the daily subsistence and other medical needs of indigent senior citizens.