“Makabulig ining kwarta para sa mga garastuson ko sa akon panimalay.”
This was Mrs. Concepcion dela Cruz, a frail 80 year old widow, resident of Baranggay New Lagao, Tacurong City, during the releasing of her social pension on November 6, 2015 at the Tacurong City Hall. She, along with other beneficiaries, made a beeline to the city hall early in the morning of the said date to receive their stipend from the government worth Php3000 for the 2nd and 3rd quarters of the year.
This year, the Local Government Unit of Tacurong has listed 536 regular pensioners from all the different baranggays of its jurisdiction; they have received their first quarter stipend worth Php1500 last May 2015.
Additionally, 318 new qualified pensioners have been added to the list this quarter, and they are set to receive 3 quarters-worth of their stipend, which amounts to Php4500.
With a total of 854 pensioners this year, LGU Tacurong, through the DSWD, is able to provide Php3.843 million worth of pension as of the 3rd quarter. The remaining 4th quarter stipend is expected to be released on January 2016.
According to Mrs. Violeta Muyuela, president of the Office for Senior Citizens Affair in Tacurong, the pensioners are identified and validated individually in their respective barangays through the purok and are listed in the National Household Targeting System (NHTS) of the DSWD. The qualifying age of the pensioner is 65 years old, and he or she must be a resident of Tacurong.
As per Republic Act No. 9994, also known as the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010, every qualified indigent senior citizen of a local government unit who is frail, sickly, or has disabilities; is not receiving pension from SSS, GSIS, or Veterans Pension; and does not have a permanent source of income or regular support from relatives can receive a monthly stipend of Php500. (Yen Robles, LGU-Tacurong)