Pakil, Laguna Mayor Vincent L. Soriano recently announced the passage of Municipal Ordinance No. 2023-0187—the Local Social Pension Program for senior citizens of the town.

Under the program, Pakil senior citizens who are not included in the National Social Pension Program can avail of P500 very month.

“We refer to senior citizens who are not receiving pension from the Government Service Insurance System  (GSIS) and Social Security System (SSS), as well as pension plans for retired uniformed personal like members of the military and police (MUP),” Soriano said.

With this ordinance, universal coverage for all Pakil Senior Citizens will soon be a reality, he added.

ELIGIBILITY

To qualify for the Local Social Pension Program, a Pakil resident must be 60 years old and above. He or she should be a resident and registered voter of Pakil for at least a year.

Pakil’s Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) shall lead in the implementation of the program.

The MSWDO shall facilitate the monthly financial assistance for eligible beneficiaries and shall likewise prepare a quarterly report to the Office of the Municipal Mayor on the status of the Local Social Pension Program.

Initially, the Pakil Municipal Government Unit (MGU) will allot 100 beneficiaries for Calendar Year (CY) 2024, with an additional 50 beneficiaries per year, subject to availability of funds.

An initial amount of P600,000 shall be allocated by the Pakil MGU for the 100 beneficiaries.

A senior citizen applying as a beneficiary of the program must submit the following documents: accomplished application form of the Local Social Pension Program, Photocopy of OSCA ID, Photocopy of Voter’s ID, and 2 copies of a 1×1 ID picture.

PENSION TRANSFER

Soriano also announced that starting next year (2024), senior citizens who receive their Social Pension from DSWD—who are also GSIS, SSS, and MUP pensioners—will be transferred to the Local Social Pension Program, in accordance with R.A. 9994.

Slots to be vacated by this transfer move will be given to other Senior Citizens who have not yet received a Social Pension.

“Here in Pakil, the social pension program will no longer be divisive because all senior citizens—even those not covered by GSIS, SSS, and MUP—will be able to receive P500 every month,” Soriano said.