ILOCOS NORTE province in northern Philippines has started handing out social pensions to poor disabled Filipinos.
The Ilocos Norte provincial government, through the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, gave initial social pensions to persons with disabilities on July 21.
Social pension is a program of the Social Welfare department that gives monthly allowances to qualified Filipinos aged 60 years and above to cater to their basic needs such as food, shelter, clothing and medicines.
“Ilocos Norte is very fortunate because it is one of the few provinces in the country to implement a social pension program for persons with disabilities,” said Carolyn Domingo, a disability affairs officer. — Artemio A. Dumlao