MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) clarified that the monthly Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens (SPISC) remains at P1,000 per beneficiary, amid online claims that it has been increased to P1,500 starting July 2025.

Assistant Secretary and DSWD Spokesperson Irene Dumlao dismissed the circulating reports as “fake news,” stressing that the current pension amount is based on Republic Act No. 11916, or the law that raised the social pension to P1,000.

“Sa ngayon, ang opisyal na halaga ng social pension ayon sa batas ay P1,000 kada buwan. Kakailanganin ng bagong batas kung ito man ay magkakaroon po ng dagdag sa monthly pension. Ilalathala din ito ng DSWD sa mga opisyal na communication channels kung may magbabago sa halaga ng social pension,” Dumlao said in a statement.

She added that the financial assistance is distributed either monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly, depending on the implementation schedule of DSWD field offices.

The SPISC program provides aid to qualified indigent senior citizens aged 60 and above who are frail, sickly, or with a disability, and who lack regular income, pension, or family support. The monthly P1,000 is intended to help beneficiaries meet basic needs, particularly food and medicine.

“Patuloy po ang ating pagtutok sa kapakanan ng ating mga nakatatanda. Kaya hinihikayat natin ang publiko na huwag basta-basta maniwala sa mga hindi opisyal na ulat,” Dumlao said, urging the public to verify news through DSWD’s official platforms.

For accurate information, the agency advises citizens to follow the DSWD’s verified website and social media channels.