• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Presidential sister and Senator Imee Marcos on Saturday distributed P6 million worth of financial assistance to 2,000 residents of Calatrava and Escalante City, where the beneficiaries were identified by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
In a press briefing, Marcos said each beneficiary of AICS (Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation) got P3,000 each, which she hopes can help them amid the rising prices of basic commodities.
Of the beneficiaries, Marcos disclosed that 1,000 are residents of Escalante City, and 1,000 are residing in Calatrava. She was accompanied by Negros Occidental 1st district Rep. Gerardo Valmayor, and welcomed by Mayor Melecio Yap in Escalante City, and Vice Mayor Florido Dinapo, who represented Mayor Marilyn Era, in Calatrava, in the distribution of AICS.
In November last year, Marcos also distributed AICS to 1,000 residents in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental.
Valmayor thanked for the financial support given by Marcos to his constituents in the 1st district of Negros Occidental
Marcos also announced that beneficiaries of the DSWD Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens (SPISC) Program are set to receive an enhanced monthly stipend of P1,000, starting this year.
Stressing that it already has a budget, Marcos said “I hope we can implement this ASAP (as soon as possible).”
Enacted in July 2022, Republic Act No. 11916, also known as “An Act Increasing the Social Pension of Indigent Senior Citizens and Appropriating Funds,” mandates a 100 percent increase in the monthly pension of the senior citizens, raising it from P500 to P1,000, with funding secured through Republic Act No. 11975, or the General Appropriations Act for FY 2024.*
