Senior citizens' pension payouts to require National ID starting April 1

By Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz

Published Mar 14, 2026 10:23 am

DSWD PHOTO

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will start using the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys), or National ID, as the primary identification for the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens beginning April 1.

Senior citizens who have not yet registered with PhilSys are encouraged to sign up at the nearest office of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

To make the process easier for beneficiaries, PhilSys registration will also be conducted during scheduled pension payout activities.

For bedridden senior citizens who are unable to travel, PSA personnel will conduct home visits to facilitate their registration.

The SocPen program provides a monthly stipend of P1,000 to indigent Filipinos aged 60 and above who are frail, sickly, or living with disabilities, and who have no regular income, pension, or financial support from their families.

Under Republic Act No. 11916, or the law increasing the social pension of senior citizens, the monthly stipend for indigent elderly beneficiaries was doubled from P500 to P1,000.

The law lapsed into effect in July 2022, with the increased pension implemented starting January 2024.

Qualified beneficiaries receive their stipend on a quarterly basis.

In 2025, a total of 4,113,050 indigent senior citizens received their social pension from the DSWD, exceeding the original target of 4,085,066 beneficiaries.

 

Peso nears ₱60:$1; Maynilad, Manila Water to raise rates due to weak peso

Surging oil prices stemming from the ongoing war in the Middle East continued to injure the peso, causing it to shed 35 centavos against the United States (US) dollar on Friday, March 13, ending the week at a new record-low close of ₱59.735. Read more

Meanwhile, millions of residents in Metro Manila face higher water costs starting next month as the industry regulator approved tariff hikes for both of the region’s main concessionaires to account for fluctuations in foreign exchange. Read more

Do German-speaking Swiss people consume standard German media (TV, books, films, internet forums, etc.) often?

 

Daniel Schwarz Carigiet

 · 

Lives in Switzerland (1966–present)

Sure.

Swiss German isn’t a written language. It is oral only, and although some people do write in Swiss German in Whatsapp messages and on Reddit, they are simply typing phonetically, and I find it tiring to read. Books written by Swiss German writers, news articles and so on are written in what passes for German German”. The only difference is that we don’t use “ß” Like in “Straße”, but we use a double “s”, as in “Strasse”. And we use different vocabulary for certain things. We would say “Trottoir” instead of “Gehsteig” (=pavement), “Billet” instead of “Fahrkarte” (=public transport ticket), and so on. But a German would have no trouble reading it. They might just find some terms quirky.

Does anybody actually watch TV nowadays? I thought it was all streaming… And yes, we watch German films, and can communicate perfectly normally with Germans on social media platforms.

Senator Bong Go urges traders to uphold bayanihan as food prices climb amid looming fuel hikes, warns against burdening ordinary Filipinos

 Senator Bong Go urges traders to uphold bayanihan as food prices climb amid looming fuel hikes, warns against burdening ordinary Filipinos

Food prices have begun climbing in several markets even before major fuel price adjustments take effect, prompting Senator Christopher "Bong" Go to call on traders and suppliers to refrain from exploiting the situation through hoarding, overpricing, and other practices that place additional strain on consumers, particularly low-income households, on Monday, March 9.

The senator noted that the looming fuel price hikes are partly driven by global tensions and disruptions in oil supply following ongoing missile attacks in West Asia, which have added pressure to markets and contributed to rising transportation and logistics costs.

Reports monitored over the weekend indicated that prices of several food items have already started increasing. At the Bulungan Seafood Market in Parañaque City, the per-kilo price of lapu-lapu rose from PhP300 to PhP400, while bakoko increased from PhP250 to PhP400 per kilo. Similar developments were observed in other areas, including Balintawak Market in Quezon City, where a container of fish reportedly became PhP500 more expensive.

Go emphasized that while rising fuel costs may affect the movement of goods, some traders may take advantage of the situation by prematurely increasing prices or manipulating supply, actions that ultimately hurt ordinary consumers.

"Sa ganitong panahon, kailangang magtulungan tayo. Huwag nating samantalahin ang sitwasyon para kumita nang sobra habang nahihirapan ang ating mga kababayan," Go said. "Bawat piso, bawat sentimo, mahalaga lalo na sa mga pamilyang kapos ang kinikita."

He also reiterated his long-standing position against hoarding and supply manipulation that worsen price instability.

“As a member of the Committee on Agriculture, two things ang dapat nating gawin. Unang-una, dapat po ay labanan natin, go against hoarders and smugglers. Dapat po ay walang makinabang na mga smugglers dito,” the senator said in a previous interview.

According to reports, some vendors have begun selling fish in bundles instead of by the kilo so customers can still afford them. In other markets, the prices of vegetables have also gone up, including eggplant, which increased from PhP250 to PhP400 per pack, squash from PhP27 to PhP35 per kilo, and calamansi from PhP100 to PhP120 per kilo.

Traders said some produce comes from the Ilocos Region, and transportation costs could rise further if fuel prices continue to increase.

Transport groups have warned that shipping fees may also rise as much as 20% to 30%, citing the heavy reliance of trucking operations on petroleum products.

Despite these developments, Go appealed to traders, suppliers, and other stakeholders in the food supply chain to exercise fairness and responsibility.

"Hindi naman natin maiiwasan ang paggalaw ng presyo ng langis, pero sana huwag itong gawing dahilan para manamantala," the senator pointed out. "Kung may kakayahan tayong magpigil at maging patas sa presyo, malaking tulong na 'yan sa ating kapwa Pilipino."

Go stressed that responsible pricing and ethical trading practices are especially important during periods of economic pressure, when many households are already struggling to stretch their daily budgets.

"Maraming pamilya ang nagtitipid na lang. May mga bumibili na lang ng kalahating kilo o kaya ay kaunting piraso para lang magkasya ang pera," he noted. "Kaya sana isipin din natin ang kalagayan ng ordinaryong mamamayan."

He also reminded traders that food and basic goods are necessities, making fairness in pricing a matter that directly affects people's daily survival.

"Huwag nating kalimutan na ang mga bumibili sa palengke ay mga kapwa natin Pilipino na nagsisikap ding itaguyod ang kanilang pamilya," Go said. "Kung magtutulungan tayo at paiiralin ang malasakit sa isa't isa, mas malalampasan natin ang mga ganitong pagsubok."

The senator encouraged the public to remain mindful of their spending and to support responsible vendors who continue to keep prices reasonable despite market pressures.

"Ang tunay na lakas ng bansa ay nasa pagkakaisa ng mga mamamayan. Kung may malasakit tayo sa isa't isa, makakahanap tayo ng paraan para magtulungan sa gitna ng anumang hamon," Go said. "Sa huli, ang mahalaga ay walang maiiwan at sama-sama nating malalampasan ang mga pagsubok na ito."