Auditors flag P6B in delayed stipends to thousands of needy senior citizens

MANILA, Philippines – The government promised thousands of indigent senior citizens a lifeline – P500 a month, P3,000 each every six months. But for many in Luzon and Mindanao, that promise fell apart.

A state audit found widespread delays, leaving elderly Filipinos waiting months beyond the mandated schedule, their pensions tangled in bureaucratic failure.

Auditors flagged the delayed release of P6.16 billion in stipends under the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens (SPISC) program, noting significant delays that left thousands of elderly Filipinos without timely financial support in violation of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) own 2019 memorandum circular.

The most severe backlog was recorded in the Zamboanga Peninsula, where P5.53 billion in stipends arrived six months late, according to the 2023 audit of the DSWD.

In the Davao region, delays stretched across several municipalities. Seniors in 10 areas under the DSWD-Davao Region only received their pensions in June 2023, months into the first semester, while those in 16 other municipalities waited until November – close to the year’s end – for their second-semester stipends. The total amount reached P375.07 million.

Bicol’s elderly beneficiaries also faced setbacks. Based on the 2023 audit report, P180.58 million in stipends were distributed up to 48 days past the scheduled release across 34 municipalities.

In Mimaropa, 22,210 seniors saw their P66.33 million in pension funds arrive late, while in Soccsksargen, payouts dragged on for as long as nine months, involving P1.22 million.

According to the Commission on Audit (COA), DSWD officials attributed the delays to bureaucratic hurdles, including the late submission of liquidation documents from previous payouts, a shortage of special disbursing officers, funding availability issues, and an overlap of disbursements due to a necessary cleanup of beneficiary lists.

State auditors called out the DSWD regional offices in Mimaropa, Bicol, Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao, and Soccsksargen for their failure to release the cash stipends on time.

“[The] beneficiaries were unable to use their stipends on time for their urgent needs,” read part of the COA report.

Beyond delays, state auditors also unearthed alleged irregularities in the distribution of pension funds, with P24.6 million paid out to people who were ineligible.

Among the violations: funds were granted to those who were not yet 60 years old and to pensioners already receiving benefits from the Social Security System (SSS), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

In Bicol, 295 people holding elected or appointed barangay positions were found to have received stipends despite being disqualified, and in Caraga, 1,820 beneficiaries were found to be either not yet senior citizens or were already pension recipients elsewhere.

The audit team said that in the Cordillera Administrative Region, 746 people received payouts despite failing to meet the verification requirement of being physically present for the first-semester release.

In the Soccsksargen region, auditors said, some beneficiaries had been deceased as far back as 2017, yet their names remained on the disbursement list.

“These issues underscore the need for improved coordination, stricter verification processes, and enhanced communication channels to ensure the propriety of payments made,” state auditors said. – Rappler.com