Camarines Sur Gov. Luis Raymund Villafuerte has urged Congress to allocate nearly P14 billion to fund the P1,000 monthly pension for about one million indigent senior citizens still on the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s waitlist.
Villafuerte, an author of the Expanded Senior Citizens Act and the law doubling the pension, said over a million qualified elderly have yet to receive their benefits due to limited funds.
Currently, only 4.08 million seniors are covered under the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens (SPISC) program.
Republic Acts 9994 and 11916 mandate a ₱1,000 monthly pension for indigent Filipinos aged 60 and above who lack income or family support.
Villafuerte appealed to lawmakers to provide the additional funds so all eligible seniors can receive their rightful assistance.
