ZAMBOANGA CITY--The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is searching the whereabouts of 400 social pensioners in this city.
Ivan Eric Salvador, DSWD regional information officer, told the Philippine News Agency on Monday that these senior citizens have failed to claim their social pension for the June payout.
The June payout covers the second quarter of the year as the DSWD releases the social pension on a quarterly basis.
Salvador said they have tapped the assistance of the village officials to hasten the search of these social pensioners.
Salvador said there are several possible reasons why they have not yet claimed their pension and these are: they are sick; have transferred to another place; and, possibly they already died.
Salvador said those who are sick or on vacation may still claim their pension for the second quarter but it will be released on October, the next payout schedule.
He said they have to locate their whereabouts for the agency to properly liquidate the funds and to determine whether they have to be delisted from the social pensioners’ list.
Each of the beneficiaries receive PHP1,500 pension each quarter since the monthly social pension is PHP500. Salvador said there are 16,971 social pensioners in this city.
Salvador said those qualified to avail of the social pension must be: indigent; 60 years old and above; and, those who do not have Social Security System and Government Service Insurance System pensions. (PNA)
