The Department of Social Welfare and Development – National Capital Region (DSWD-NCR) through its Social Pension Program conducted 7-day pay-out activity from August 5 to 13, 2019 at several barangays in Malabon City. A total of 7,601 indigent senior citizens of NCR received their stipend.

The Social Pension program for Indigent Senior Citizens is an additional government assistance that issues a P500 monthly stipend to the elderly which aims to improve their condition by augmenting to their daily substance and medical needs, reduce incidence of hunger, and protect them from abuse, deprivation, disasters, and neglect.

The DSWD-NCR is pursuing this program in compliance with Republic Act 9994, or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010, which states that the beneficiaries for the social pension must be: (1) frail, sickly or with disability; (2) receive no pension from GSIS, SSS, AFPMBAI and other insurance companies; and (3) do not have permanent source of income or regular support from relatives.

DSWD Undersecretary Mark Allan Jay Yambao and DSWD-NCR Regional Director Vicente Gregorio B. Tomas graced the event to check on the comfort of the elderly and the smooth flow of operations of the activity.

DSWD-NCR is set to conduct its pay-out on September 3 to 5, 2019 in Las Piñas City and on September 11 to 14, 2019 in Marikina City.

MANILA – In observance of the National Disaster Resilience Month 2019, the Department of Social Welfare and Development – National Capital Region (DSWD-NCR), in partnership with Bureau of Fire Protection, conducted an earthquake drill on July 26, 2019 to stir up full participation and evaluate the actual response of all Field Office personnel during times of emergency situations. Led by DSWD-NCR’s Disaster Response Management Division (DRMD), the activity used the Field Office’s (FO) grounds and the San Rafael Street as the evacuation area.

As part of the drill, the DRMD set up an Incident Command Post simulation led by Mr. Bienvenido Barbosa, Officer In Charge of the Division, wherein the emergency action center of the disaster response team will be held in the event of calamities. Disaster relief such as food distribution was also practiced in an organized manner. The Field Office was also able to test the two (2) new generator sets donated by the National Resource and Logistics Management Bureau, in preparation for the event of a power outage.

All FO personnel including the clients cooperated in the evacuation activity, which resulted zero casualties in the area. Various personnel also carried out roles as part of the DSWD-NCR Disaster Response Team. Mr. Alex Cabales, representing the Regional Director as the Responsible Officer of the Region, and Mr. Barbosa as the Incident Commander, facilitated the post-mortem assessment and evaluation of the activity to gear FO personnel towards a disaster-resilient office.

The DSWD-NCR is committed not only in providing immediate relief and response during disaster situations, but also in creating an emergency-prepared comunity within and around the Field Office; therefore will continue supporting all disaster awareness, preparedness, and mitigation efforts of the government whether at the local or at the national level. ###