The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Davao Region (DSWD-11), through the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens (SocPen) program, completed its fourth-quarter payout to some 284,700 recipients in the area.

Maria Victoria Arancon, DSWD-11 SocPen unit head, said Wednesday a total of PHP427 million was disbursed by the agency for the program.

The number of beneficiaries and corresponding amounts of assistance per province were tallied as follows: Davao Occidental with 22,028 beneficiaries at PHP33 million; Davao Oriental – 46,199 beneficiaries (PHP69.29 million); and Davao de Oro – 52,669 beneficiaries (PHP79 million).

Also included were Davao del Sur with 41,648 beneficiaries (PHP62.47 million); Davao del Norte – 56,554 beneficiaries (PHP84.83 million); and Davao City – 65,602 beneficiaries (PHP98.4 million).

“We are very grateful for the assistance and cooperation from the local government units who augmented us during the payout, as well as the officials from the Office for Senior Citizens Affairs of their respective barangays,” Arancon said.

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. (PNA)