MORE than 4 million indigent senior citizens across the country will receive 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.
Asst. Secretary Irene Dumlao, the DSWD’s spokesperson, said the program has reached a total of 4,085,066 indigent senior cit-izens, providing them with monthly financial aid to help ease the burden of medical and living expenses.
The SPISC is granted to Filipinos aged 60 and above who are frail, sickly, or have disabilities, and who have no regular income, pension, or financial support from their families.
Under Republic Act 11916, the monthly pension was increased from P500 to P1,000 beginning January 2024, reflecting the government’s commitment to help seniors cope with the costs of medicine and food.
To improve access, the DSWD shifted from semi-annual to monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly payouts starting July 2024.
Digital disbursement via cash cards is also being piloted in selected areas to make fund release more efficient.
The DSWD remains committed to ensuring that no senior is left behind, especially when it comes to health and well-being.
From January to November 2024, a total of 4,268,801 indigent senior citizens received their monthly pension, including those who now qualify under the centenarian program .
Nearly 2.96 million indigent seniors received their pension for the first and second quarters of 2025—2,204,434 for the first quarter and 751,022 covering both quarters—totaling P3,000 to P6,000 per person .
In Western Visayas alone, the DSWD released over P399 million in social pension to 133,220 senior citizens dur-ing the first quarter of 2025, with Iloilo Province and City receiving the largest shares.
