Pacquiao wants to hike DSWD's monthly pension for indigent senior citizens to P1k

Senator Manny Pacquiao on Tuesday proposed to double the monthly pension for indigent senior citizens from the current P500.

"Paano naman makaka-support ang P500 na pension nila sa mga needs nila?... Ang gusto ko nga sana minimum, at least P1,000 para sa senior citizen dahil kawawa sila eh," Pacquiao  said during the Senate plenary debates on the budget of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Senator Imee Marcos, sponsoring the agency's budget, shared the same sentiment.

"Totoo, sobrang baba kasi ano naman ang magagawa mo sa P500 a month? Tapos ibibigay kada tatlong buwan P1,500 rin lang. Napakakaunti po," she said.

Under the National Expenditure Program, the DSWD earmarked P23.152 billion for the social pension of indigent senior citizens and the Senate committee on finance found an additional P272 million for this item, according to Marcos.

The two senators hope the upper chamber would be able to look for additional funds to increase the pension.

Under Republic Act (RA) 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010, only those who are frail, sickly, or with disability; without any pension from other government agencies; and without a permanent source of income or source of financial assistance/compensation to support their basic needs are qualified to receive social pension from the DSWD through the  Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens Program.—AOL, GMA News