A false advisory about a P1,000 monthly pension for all senior citizens in the Philippines is circulating again on social media.
The real deal: Only indigent seniors are eligible to receive the pension. The bill proposing to expand the social pension’s coverage to all seniors is still pending approval from Congress.
The untrue claim was posted by a senior citizen on Facebook (FB) on Oct. 7, during the Elderly Filipino Week celebration. She read the script below, which is a message that has made the rounds online since 2023 and debunked by government agencies and fact checkers:
“Ang National Commission of Senior Citizen (NCSC) R.A. 11350 says that all senior citizen pensioner or nonpensioner sa GSIS or SSS will receive 1k per month or 3k every 3 months under the NCSC. Ang Office of the Senior Citizens Affair no longer under DSWD but under the NCSC. So register online www.ncsc.gov.ph. The 1k monthly pension will take effect upon completion of senior citizen registration kaya mag-online registration na.”
Currently, over four million Filipino seniors considered indigent are entitled to a monthly pension of P1,000 per month, distributed on a monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly basis. Republic Act 9994 defines indigent seniors as those who are frail, sickly or with disability; without a pension; without a permanent source of income; and without compensation or financial assistance from their relatives to support their basic needs.
Amid persistent misinformation about the program’s coverage, Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao of the Department of Social Welfare and Development said in August:
“We would like to clarify that the DSWD’s SocPen (social pension) program is different from House Bill No. 10423 or the Universal Social Pension bill.”
Source: DSWD official website, DSWD spox reiterates social pension is only for indigent senior citizens, Aug. 21, 2024
In May, lawmakers from the House of Representatives approved HB 10423 which seeks to give all Filipinos aged 60 and above a monthly pension of P500 and, within five years of implementation, increase the amount to at least P1,000.
The counterpart bill filed by Sen. Rosa Hontiveros, which proposes to give all Filipino senior citizens P1,500 monthly, has not moved past the committee level since 2022.
Contrary to the FB Reel’s claim, the program is administered by the DSWD and not the NCSC. Completing the latter’s registration form also does not entitle senior citizens to any benefits, according to an advisory published by the commission in February.
The DSWD has published a guide for the public to help them understand the rules for eligibility and steps to follow to avail of the pension.
The false FB post has over 936,000 views as of publishing, as well as more than 10,800 reactions and 5,400 shares.
VERA Files Fact Check has flagged several posts since 2019 that claim senior citizens will receive social aid ranging from P500 to P10,000. Before sharing and believing posts on social media, make sure to check official announcements from government agencies.
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(Editor's Note: VERA Files has partnered with Facebook to fight the spread of disinformation. Find out more about this partnership and our methodology.)