BONGAO, Tawi-Tawi – The Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD) organized in this town a six-day payout for its social pension program on July 15-20, marking the distribution of pensions for the first semester of 2024.
Following the increase in social pension amounts from P500 to P1,000 per month, each senior citizen received P6,000.
A total of 2,200 beneficiaries in Bongao Municipality were expected to receive their social pensions for the first semester of 2024. As of July 22, payouts are ongoing in the municipality to accommodate beneficiaries from remote barangays who failed to attend on scheduled dates. Additionally, second-person claimants were processed for first-degree relatives who provided necessary documents.
Emphasizing the Bangsamoro Government’s dedication to reach the grassroots level, MSSD social workers visited some bedridden pensioners who were unable to collect their pensions. This is to ensure that funds were delivered directly to their homes and to assess their living conditions.
Throughout Tawi-Tawi, similar efforts were undertaken by MSSD offices, including a payout in Sibutu town where 1,271 seniors from 16 barangays received their pensions on July 3-4. Meanwhile in Simunul, 1,205 seniors obtained their first semester pensions on June 30.
Pensioners who missed their scheduled payouts due to personal reasons can still claim their pensions at the MSSD provincial office until the end of fiscal year 2024.
Continuing its service delivery in Tawi-Tawi, MSSD is currently scheduling payouts for its various programs in other island municipalities. (Laila Aripin/BIO)
