Author : Albert, Jose Ramon G.; Monje, Jennifer D.; Munoz, Mika S.

Summary : Since 2011, the government, through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), has been implementing the Social Pension (SocPen) Program for Indigent Senior Citizens. SocPen gives a noncontributory monthly pension of PHP 500 to qualified seniors (i.e., indigent Filipinos aged 60 and above). Initially, the DSWD had sought to help 1.2 million indigent senior citizens identified by the Listahanan on a PHP 8.71-billion budget allocation. However, insufficient funds had prompted the department to target only 138,960 seniors at program inception, though the actual served were 140,576 senior citizens with a budget of PHP 843.5 million. Budget allocation for the SocPen has increased exponentially since program inception to over PHP 23.4 billion in 2021. With this 2,540-percent jump in budget within 10 years, the 2021 physical target has also expanded to 3,835,066 senior citizens, a 2,634-percent increase in target beneficiaries. The 2020 physical target for SocPen is nearly two-fifths (37.8%) of the country's senior citizens. This study describes SocPen's design and current implementation processes, especially in the wake of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and attempts to increase beneficiaries' financial assistance and coverage. The examination will also look into the recent experience of DSWD with the Social Amelioration Program, which included cash transfers for SocPen beneficiaries and other vulnerable populations. While overall, the program is well-intentioned and welcomed by seniors, and despite the improvements taken in response to criticisms of several external evaluations, implementation deficits persist. These need to be addressed, especially as the SocPen is currently one of the largest social protection programs of the government and has the potential to impact the lives of elderly indigent beneficiaries significantly. (authors' abstract)