Senior citizens in this city are now receiving their quarterly social pensions via digital payouts using GCash cards, after the city government rolled out the system to make the distribution of benefits faster, safer, and more convenient.
The ceremonial turnover of GCash cards on Monday, August 3, marked the initial implementation of the digital payout program for beneficiaries of the city’s local government social pension.
During the ceremony, Mayor Hisham Ismail said the initiative seeks to eliminate the long queues and travel burden previously experienced by senior citizens during manual payouts.
‘We introduced this system to make the process easier, faster, and more efficient for our senior citizens. They should no longer endure the hardships of lining up just to receive their benefits,’ he said.
Ismail said the city adopted the digital payment system after learning of an incident in another locality where an elderly social pension beneficiary reportedly died while waiting in line during a payout, highlighting the need to make the distribution process safer and more accessible for senior citizens.
‘That is why we implemented this system to prioritize the safety and convenience of our senior citizens,’ he said.
Ismail added the digital payout would also help beneficiaries save on transportation and incidental expenses, particularly those traveling from the city’s northern and southern villages.
Under the new system, beneficiaries may use their GCash cards to access their quarterly P1,500 pension, or make cashless transactions at accredited merchants. The card will also serve as their identification card for the program.
Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) head Nelia Valladolid said Legazpi City has 3,522 local government social pensioners, with 52 beneficiaries comprising the initial batch issued GCash cards.
‘Once they receive their cards, they can conveniently access their pension or use the funds wherever GCash is accepted,’ Valladolid said.
Valladolid said around 20,000 GCash cards have been prepared for other qualified beneficiaries who choose to enroll in the digital payout system as the city expands the program.
She added the initiative is expected to help senior citizens meet their daily needs, particularly for medicines, food, and other necessities, while reducing transportation costs and the inconvenience of traveling to payout sites.
Among the first recipients, 65-year-old Azucena Layosa of Barangay 16, East Washington, said the quarterly pension has helped her pay for rice, maintenance medicines, and electricity expenses.
‘Since I no longer have work, this assistance eases my financial burden. I am grateful that the city government has made claiming the pension more convenient,’ she said.
Hersie Estrella, 74, of Barangay 21, Binanuahan, said the digital payout is especially beneficial for bedridden senior citizens.
‘It is a huge help because bedridden pensioners can simply ask a trusted family member to use their GCash card to claim their assistance. They no longer need to travel to payout centers. The pension is mostly used for medicines, food, and other daily necessities,’ she said