THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has released some P15.8 million worth of annual social pension to 2,641 senior citizens in Lamitan City, Basilan province.

Each of the 2,641 qualified senior citizens received a P6,000 annual social pension, the payout of which was administered on Friday, March 18, 2022, by personnel of the Provincial and City Social Welfare and Development Offices at the Lamitan City gymnasium.

Lamitan City Mayor Rose Furigay, Vice Mayor Roderick Furigay, and Councilor Joaquin Puri, Jr. witnessed the payout of the social pension to the identified recipients.

Social Pension is additional government assistance in the amount of P500 monthly or for a total of P6,000 yearly stipend to augment the daily subsistence and other medical needs of indigent senior citizens, subject to a review every two years by Congress in consultation with the DSWD.

Meanwhile, Victoria Siason, head of Lamitan City’s Office of Senior Citizens Affairs, said in addition to the yearly pension from DSWD, all senior citizens of Lamitan are also recipients of P1,000 cash and groceries every December, courtesy of the city government under Mayor Furigay’s administration.

Furigay said in her State of the City Report on March 15 that she has a big heart of love and compassion for the elderly constituents of Lamitan City that, aside from the traditional Christmas cash gifts and groceries, her administration also extends free medical and burial assistance to the senior citizen sector.

The mayor has assured the senior citizens of Lamitan City that they will continue to receive such assistance. (SunStar Zamboanga)