THE Department of Social Welfare and Development in Davao Region (DSWD-Davao) served 257,970 of its 272,729 target beneficiaries under the Social Pension Program for Indigent Senior Citizens in the second quarter of 2026, disbursing a total of over ₱1.45 billion, DSWD Social Pension Finance Officer Julie Marie Roble said during the Kapehan sa Dabaw media forum on Monday.
The program provides a monthly pension to qualified indigent senior citizens, which was increased from ₱500 to ₱1,000 under a legislative amendment, DSWD Project Development Officer Pia Erzol Pedres said. Beneficiaries receive the pension quarterly, amounting to ₱3,000 per payout.
To qualify, a senior citizen must be at least 60 years old, have no permanent income or regular family support, and must not be receiving a pension from SSS, the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), or the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO), Pedres said. Beneficiaries are identified through the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) list from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), which is validated every three years, and are cross-matched against SSS, GSIS, and PVAO pension records before DSWD confirms their eligibility, she added.
Pedres said the program's limited slots depend on national government funding and that qualification is not automatic simply by reaching age 60.
"Ang programa base lang sa slots availability na funded by the national government (The program is based only on the availability of slots funded by the national government)," she said.
Pedres said senior citizens unable to physically process their qualification or visit DSWD offices may be evaluated by assigned field workers through home visits, provided they are endorsed by their chapter president and are included in the CBMS list. She added that DSWD continuously coordinates with the PSA to update and clean the list of eligible beneficiaries.
Beneficiaries who are unable to claim their pension on their scheduled payout date may still claim it in the next payout period, as long as they remain eligible for the program, Pedres said.
Pedres clarified that the social pension is separate from Davao City's own local subsidy for all senior citizens, which provides ₱1,500 regardless of qualification, unlike the national social pension program, which requires seniors to meet specific eligibility requirements.
Pedres and Roble encouraged seniors who are unsure whether they are on the CBMS list to coordinate with their local government unit, chapter presidents, and barangay officials, who can assist in confirming beneficiary status and payout schedules. They also encouraged senior citizens without a PhilSys or national ID to register, as it serves as the primary form of identification when claiming the social pension.
Meanwhile, SSS's Tombo said the agency is separately implementing a pension reform program to raise the minimum monthly pension for its retired and disability pensioners, in response to the clamor of pensioners receiving very minimal amounts. The reform includes a 10-percent annual increase over three years starting in 2025, aiming to raise pensions to nearly ₱3,000 by the end of 2027. Survivorship pensioners will receive a five-percent annual increase over the same period, she said.
To qualify for an SSS retirement pension, a member must have made at least 120 months, or 10 years, of contributions, not necessarily consecutive, and be at least 60 years old, Tombo said. As of 2025, the contribution rate stands at 15 percent, with a minimum monthly contribution of ₱750 under the ₱5,000 salary bracket. GRS
