The Senior Citizen Party-list called for the improvement of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) social pension program, particularly the agency’s database of senior citizens and its disbursement of pension to seniors.

The party-list cited as a major concern the thousands of seniors who lack immediate access to e-payment facilities and automated teller machines (ATMs).

In a statement, party-list Representative Rodolfo “Ompong” Ordanes said, “There must be better ways to improve the DSWD database and its ways to disburse the pension to seniors”.

The party-list also expressed its desire in cooperating with incoming DSWD secretary Erwin Tulfo on the matter.

“Senior Citizen Party-list will seek to meet Secretary-nominee Erwin Tulfo soon so we can share with him the problems and solutions to DSWD[‘s] implementing systems and processes”, Ordanes added.

Tulfo, currently a broadcaster at the People’s Television Network, was recently selected by President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to lead DSWD.

The Senior Citizen Party-list also lauded the Senate’s swift approval of Senate Bill 2506 that seeks to double the monthly pension for indigent seniors from P500 to P1,000.