Guidelines on the Implementation of the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens

December 13, 2010

DSWD ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 015-10

GUIDELINES ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SOCIAL PENSION FOR INDIGENT SENIOR CITIZENS

I. Rationale

There are estimated 6.3 million elderly Filipinos aged 60 years old and above as of CY 2010 based on the National Statistical Coordinating Board (NSCB) Medium Assumption Population Projection. Older persons comprise a little over six percent of the total population, but this proportion is expected to be higher than 10 percent by 2020 as the number of older persons doubles by that time (NEDA, Philippine Population Projection 1980-2030). Based on the National Statistical Coordinating Board (NCSB 2006) poverty estimates of the basic sectors, the magnitude of poor senior citizens is 1,297,159 and it posted the second largest percentage points of 1.9% increase next to the children sector. The Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao posted the highest poverty incidence for senior citizen which is at 46.5% and the most number of poor senior citizens are from Regions V, VI and VII (NCSB 2016).

The number of elderly poor in developing countries is increasing and older people are over-represented among chronically poor people. Two-thirds of older people receive no regular income and 100 million live on less than US$1 a day. Regular cash transfers also increase poor older people's access to services, particularly health care. As older people live and share resources with younger family members, social pensions have a substantial impact on child well-being and the achievement of Millennium Development Goals 1-6. Social pensions contribute to increased school attendance and better nutrition among children. They can play an important role in breaking intergenerational poverty cycles (HelpAge 2009). HTcADC

The Philippines has made great strides in promoting the welfare of its people and has ensured the continued participation in development by legislating national policies in response to the emerging needs of the Filipino senior citizens. Republic Act No. 9994 or the "Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010" which provide additional benefits and privileges and maximize their participation in nation-building amended the previous RA 9257 "Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2003", institutionalizes social protection by providing monthly stipend to indigent senior citizens and supports the family to provide care to their sick and disabled senior citizens. This is designed in such a way that the poorest senior citizens are covered and protected from loss of income and unemployment as a result of illness, injury, disability, harvest failure, etc. (ADB 2006).

The Social Pension for Indigent Filipino senior citizen is in-line with the fulfillment of the obligation of the government to protect the most vulnerable sector through social protection, and for the full implementation of the Republic Act No. 9994.

II. Legal Basis

A. International Commitments as a State Party to the following:

Millennium Development Goals

Goal 1: Eradicate Extreme Poverty & Hunger

Target 1: Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than $1 a day

Target 3: Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger

Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing No. 52

Objective 1: Promotion of programmes to enable all workers to acquire basic social protection/social security, including where applicable, pensions, disability insurance and health benefits.

B. Local Laws

Philippine Constitution Article XIII, Section 11

"The State shall adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development which shall endeavor to make essential goods, health and other social services available to all people at affordable cost. There shall be priority for the needs of the under-privileged, sick, elderly, disabled, women, and children. The State shall endeavor to provide free medical care to paupers".

Philippine Constitution Article XV, Section 4

"The family has the duty to care for its elderly members but the State may also do so through just programs of social security"

Republic Act No. 9994 Section 5, Paragraph H, Number 1

Indigent senior citizens shall be entitled to a monthly stipend amounting to Five hundred pesos (Php500.00) to augment the daily subsistence and other medical needs of senior citizens, subject to a Review every two (2) years by Congress, in consultation with the DSWD

III. Description of the Guidelines

The Guidelines for the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens will serve as a reference for the DSWD Central and Regional offices as well as Provincial, City and Municipal Social Welfare and Development Offices. The guidelines will provide clear arrangements on the responsibility of every concerned agency to ensure effective and efficient implementation of the social pension.

Scope:

The Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizen will be implemented nationwide and will consider the following priorities, taking into consideration the following conditions and eligibility criteria of senior citizens and subject to the availability of funds. aScITE

1. Age —

• First Priority: 80 years old and above

• Second Priority: 70-79 years old

• Third Priority: 60-69 years old

2. Economic Status — to be determined by the DSWD National Household Targeting for Poverty Reduction, should not be receiving any pension from the GSIS, SSS or AFPMBAI and other insurance company, without permanent source of income, or regular support from his/her relatives to meet his/her basic needs as determined by the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs and Senior Citizen Organizations.

IV. Definition of Terms

1) Authorized Representative — refers to the closest person who has actual custody and provides care to the senior citizen such as, but not limited to spouse, children, siblings, grandchildren as evidenced by an authority certified by the Barangay Captain or his/her representative.

2) Database of Indigent Senior Citizens — refers to the centralized computer database installed in the DSWD Central Office and its 17 regional field offices.

3) Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) — refers to the office established in cities and municipalities under the Office of the Mayor headed by a senior citizen (RA 9257).

4) Regular Income — refers to the financial remuneration from businesses or income from rents, investments and other productive activities undertaken by the senior citizen.

5) Regular Support from the Family — refers to the material and/or financial support provided by family members or relatives within the first to fourth consanguinity to the senior citizens including family members working abroad.

6) Senior Citizens Organization — refers to any organization of senior citizens which is non-profit and voluntary in nature dedicated to the promotion, enhancement and support of the welfare of senior citizens.

7) Indigent Senior Citizens/Social Pensioners — refers to qualified indigent senior citizen who is frail, sickly or with disability, and without pension or permanent source of income, or regular support from his/her relatives to meet his/her basic needs as determined by the DSWD NHTS-PR.

8) Social Pension — refers to the monthly stipend amounting to Five hundred pesos (Php500.00) to augment the daily subsistence and other medical needs of indigent senior citizens, subject to a review every two (2) years by Congress, in consultation with the DSWD.

V. Objectives

General

To improve the living condition of eligible indigent senior citizens.

Specific

1. To augment capacity of indigent senior citizens to meet their daily subsistence and medical requirements;

2. To reduce incidence of hunger among indigent senior citizens; and

3. To protect indigent senior citizens from neglect, abuse, or deprivation.

VI. Implementing Procedures

A. Pre-Implementation Phase

1. Organization of the Social Pension Project Management Office (SPMO)

 Social Pension Project Management Office will be created and lodged under the Program Management Bureau (PMB) at the DSWD Central office.

1.1 Staff Composition

1.1.1 Assistant Bureau Director — Head/organic staff

1.1.2 Social Welfare Officer Luzon cluster-Focal) — MOA HEITAD

1.1.3 Social Welfare officer (Visayas cluster-Focal) — MOA

1.1.4 Social Welfare Officer Mindanao cluster-Focal) — MOA

1.1.5 Statistician — MOA

1.1.6 Finance Officer — MOA

1.1.7 Administrative staff — MOA

1.2 Functions

1.2.1 Ensure the national implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the social pension;

1.2.2 Provide technical assistance to the Regional Social Pension Focal Person on the implementation of the Social Pension;

1.2.3 Submit monthly report to the Department Secretary on the Social Pension implementation; and

1.2.4 Develop grievance, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.

2. Office of Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA)

 The Head of the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs will take the lead in the implementation of the Social Pension in coordination with the City/Municipal Social Welfare Development Office Head (C/MSWDO).

2.1 Functions

 The OSCA in every City and Municipality will perform the following:

2.1.1 Ensure implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Social Pension in their respective City or Municipality;

2.1.2 Advocate for the allocation of additional funds for the Social Pension implementation in their respective City or Municipality;

2.1.3 Act as the grievance committee and respond to complaints and queries;

2.1.4 Facilitate the SP validation, enrollment, cancellation and updating of SP list; and

2.1.5 Submit monitoring and accomplishment report to the Regional Social Pension Focal Person at the DSWD Field office.

B. Implementation Phase

3. Identification of Social Pensioner

3.1 The DSWD-National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) will provide disaggregated data of the members of poor households who are 60 years old and above and their complete contact details to the Social Pension Project Management Office (SPMO) and to the Regional Social Pension Focal Person; and

3.2 The Regional Social Pension Focal Person will provide the data to the concerned LGUs for validation.

4. Consolidation of the Social Pensioner List

4.1 OSCA and C/MSWDO will acknowledge the Social Pensioners list from the Regional Social Pension Focal Person;

4.2 OSCA with the assistance of the C/MSWDO and the Senior Citizen Organizations will conduct the necessary verification and home visit to potential Social Pensioners; and

4.3 LGUs will develop its Social Pension plan and ensure the provision of augmentation funds. ATICcS

5. Verification for Non-Pensioner

5.1 The DSWD will enter into a Memorandum of Agreement with the Social Security System, Government Social Insurance Service, and Armed Forces and Police Mutual Benefit Assistance Incorporated to verify if the proposed list of Social Pensioners are receiving and/or beneficiary of any pension;

5.2 Regional Social Pension officer will transmit the verified Social Pensioner data to the SPMO, and the latter will provide copies to the OSCA for cross-checking; and

5.3 OSCA will conduct background check to verify if the listed Social Pensioner in their Municipality/City is not receiving any pension from any insurance system.

6. Finalization of the List of Social Pensioner

6.1 OSCA together with the C/MSWDO and SCOs will determine the final list of the Social Pensioners among the indigent senior citizens giving priority to 80 years old and above supported by the following documents:

i. Any valid ID or birth certificate;

ii. Certification from the City/Municipal Health Office; and

6.2 OSCA will post the list of approved Social Pension beneficiaries in conspicuous places (i.e., LGUs/OSCA/Barangay bulletin boards) with the signature of the OSCA Head, C/MSWDO Head and authorized representative of the SCOs;

6.3 In attending to queries and complaints, the following should be observed:

• Any individual or institution could file and inform the OSCA by filling-up the grievance form that can be found in the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs or City/Municipal Social Welfare Development Office;

• OSCA, C/MSWDO and SCOs representative will determine if there is enough substance on the complaint and if not, the OSCA will write to the complainant about the lack of merit of his/her complaint; and

• OSCA shall act on the complaint by calling on the concerned individual or by conducting re-validation.

6.4 OSCA will endorse the final list of the Social Pensioner to the Regional Social Pension Focal Person together with the documentary support for confirmation signed the C/MSWDO and SCOs representative; and

6.5 The Regional Social Pension Focal Person will send the final Social Pensioner list to concerned Local Government Units-OSCA and provide copy to the SPMO.

7. Social Pensioner Notification and Enrolment

7.1 OSCA will immediately inform the beneficiaries and their family through a written notification on their approval as Social Pensioner, and the date of the enrollment;

7.2 Regional Social Pension Focal Person and LGUs will conduct a half-day enrollment and orientation to the Social Pensioner and to their authorized representative will be conducted on the procedures in the availment of the Social Pension;

7.3 Social Pensioner will proceed to the area to accomplish the following steps:

• Fill-up the Social Pension form in three sets — one copy for the beneficiary and one for the OSCA, City/Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office record and for the SPMO; TIADCc

• Picture taking — once the picture-taking is complete, the Social Pensioner shall affix his/her signature or thumb marks on the identification card and shall indicate his/her authorized representative in-case the pensioner cannot claim his/her Social Pension;

• Awarding of Certificate — the OSCA, LGUs and the DSWD will award the Social Pension certificate. They will be informed on the schedule of release of their Social Pension ID, ATM and/or Postal ID

7.4 OSCA ID will be utilize as temporary Social Pension ID and it will be replaced by a permanent SP ID once the DSWD-NHTPRS Unified Membership Identification (UMID) ID will be finalized;

7.5 For those pensioner who are frail, sickly and disabled the OSCA will conduct on site-registration/home visit and assist the pensioner to accomplish the necessary form.

8. Social Pension Provision

8.1 Subject to the Commission on Audit (COA) approval, the SPMO will adopt the most cost-effective and efficient made of social pension provision utilizing the cellular phone through the wireless money transfer of SMART or GLOBE cash center and/or other methods of SP provision that deemed to be necessary.

9. Monitoring of the Social Pension Implementation

9.1 OSCA will conduct regular monitoring or as need arises in partnership with the SCOs and C/MSWDO; and

9.2 Social Pension Focal Person will conduct regular monitoring and spot checks whenever indicated.

Post-Implementation Phase

10. Evaluation and Research

10.1 The Policy and Development and Planning Bureau (PDPB) of the DSWD will conduct evaluation and research of the Social Pension one year after its initial implementation and every two years thereafter.

VII. Institutional Arrangements

Social Pension Project Management Office (SPMO) Under the Program Management Bureau (PMB)

1. Ensures inclusion of the needed funds for SP in the General Appropriations Act (GAA);

2. Provide technical assistance to the Regional Social Pension Focal Person;

3. Maintain and provide the list of senior citizens registered in the poor household in every Region based on the DSWD-National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction database;

4. Maintain the Social Pensioner national database and webpage;

5. Develop the Grievance Redress, Update, and Monitoring and Evaluation systems for the implementation of the Social Pension;

6. Prepare the regular national implementation report on the Social Pension;

7. Submit annual Administrative and Operational cost for the implementation of the Social Pension for consideration of the General Administration and Support Services Group (GASSG) AIDSTE

8. Conduct of social preparation and advocacy activities; and

9. Develop a three to five years management plan, and information education and communication strategy for the SP.

Regional Social Pension Unit (RSPU) under the Office of the Assistant Regional Director (ARD)

1. Ensures timely effective and efficient implementation of the Social Pension in their respective region;

2. Provide technical assistance and supervision to the OSCA regarding the Social Pension implementation;

3. Maintain the Social Pension regional database and website;

4. Handle grievance and respond to issue/concerns elevated by the OSCA; and

5. Prepare the regular regional monitoring report on the Social Pension.

Local Government Units (Provincial/City/Municipal)

Local Government Units particularly Cities and Municipalities, with support from the Provincial Governments with capacities to allocate funds for the purpose shall be encourage to implement the Social Pension for their constituents.

1. Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office

• Monitor the province wide implementation of Social Pension for indigent senior citizens;

• Recommend to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan resolution supporting the implementation of the Social Pension; and

• Provide augmentation on the poorest Municipalities of the province in provision of Social Pension.

2. Local Chief Executive

• To supervise the OSCA;

• Advocate for the provision of counterpart funds for the Social Pension implementation;

• Enact local resolution in-support of the Social Pension; and

• Oversee the Social Pension implementation in their respective City or Municipality.

3. Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs

• Initiate the identification and take the lead role in the enrollment of the Social Pension beneficiaries;

• Facilitate the conduct of orientation to Social Pension beneficiaries and their families;

• Take the lead in the distribution of Social Pension ID, ATM or Postal ID Card;

• Facilitate the conduct of home visit to Social Pensioners to determine their situation;

• Ensure updated list of SP beneficiaries in every Barangay and Municipality/City; and

• Prepare and submit needed reports to the C/MSWDO for endorsement to the RSPU.

4. City/Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office

• Facilitate the identification and enrollment of the Social Pension beneficiaries;

• Conduct orientation to Social Pension beneficiaries;

• Distribution of Social Pension ID, ATM or Postal ID Card;

• Conduct of home visit to Social Pensioners to determine their situation;

• Update the list of SP beneficiaries in every Barangay and Municipality/City; and AaCTcI

• Prepare and submit needed reports to the RSPU.

VIII. Effectivity

This Administrative Order shall take effect immediately and rescind orders which may be contrary to it.

Issued in Quezon City this 13th day of December 2010.

 

(SGD.) CORAZON JULIANO-SOLIMANSecretary