CEBU CITY, Jan. 31 -- Around 300,000 indigent senior citizens in Central Visayas have benefitted from the PHP1.8 billion monthly social pension program of the national government.

Shalaine Marie Lucero, regional director of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Region 7, said Wednesday there were about 299,737 indigent senior citizens who received their PHP500 monthly stipend in 2023 through the agency's social pension program.

The amount of payout released represents 100 percent of the target number of senior citizens in the region, she said.

The agency in the region distributed the amount to the beneficiaries through direct payouts and the transfer of funds to 80 local government units that facilitated the distribut...