Indigent seniors’ social pension to get P49.8B budget in 2025

THE government has allocated P49.8 billion for the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens (SPISC) under the 2025 National Expenditure Program, which the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said will ensure the continuous implementation of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) social protection program for Filipino senior citizens.

The DBM said the allocation will allow more than 4.08 million indigent senior citizens to receive a monthly allowance of P1,000 next year to supplement their daily living and medical expenses.

Qualified beneficiaries of the SPISC program started receiving a monthly stipend of P1,000 this year, following the enactment of Republic Act (R.A) No. 11916, which doubled their monthly pension from P500.

Meanwhile, with the implementation of the expanded Centenarians Act, a total of P3 billion has been set aside to fund the P100,000 cash gift for Filipinos who reach the age of 100, as well as the additional P10,000 cash benefit to all Filipinos aged 80, 85, 90 and 95.

The President signed into law R.A. 11982 in February 2024, which expanded the coverage of R.A. 10868 and granted benefits to octogenarians and nonagenarians.