DILG warns vs fake info on seniors' pension hike

By Dexter A. See

May 8, 2023 

BAGUIO CITY: The Department of the Interior and Local Government in the Cordillera Administrative Region (DILG CAR) has urged the public to stop spreading unverified and inaccurate information regarding the status of a bill amending social pension for indigent senior citizens.

"We would like to call on [the public] to refrain from disseminating false and misleading information, particularly on social media platforms, because it might cause confusion and panic [among our senior citizens]," DILG CAR Regional Director Araceli San Jose said over the weekend.

San Jose also advised the public to be more vigilant and discerning in their consumption of information, as one of the schemes involves copying the icon and logo or even the actual website of the National Commission for Senior Citizens (NCSC) to make it appear official or legitimate.

She pointed out that as of today, the bill amending Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens Program into the Universal Pension Program that will then cover both pensioners and non-pensioners still has not been approved in the House of Representatives.

The universal social pension is a proposal that states that all senior citizens, regardless of their financial situation or economic class, are entitled to a monthly stipend.

"The program's implementation has not yet been transferred from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to the NCSC. Thus, submitting the senior citizen data form is not required in order to qualify for the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens Program," San Jose said.

The National Commission for Senior Citizens recently released a public advisory aimed at cautioning senior citizens on rumors and disinformation pertaining to various issues.

"These issues include the distribution of social pensions to indigent senior citizens, as well as the transfer of functions and duties of senior citizen-related benefits and programs from the DSWD to the NCSC," San Jose explained.

In an official statement, NCSC Chairman Franklin Quijano also explained that while it is factual that Republic Act (RA) 11916 mandates a 100 percent increase in the monthly pension of indigent senior citizens — from P500 to P1,000 — it would still need to be funded by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and could only go into effect once the Bureau of the Treasury has allocated the necessary funds.

DA: No extensive crop damage from frost

By Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY: The Department of Agriculture-Cordillera Administrative Region (DA-CAR) is yet to receive significant damage reports on crops amid the presence of frost starting this week, particularly in the higher elevations of the provinces of Benguet and Mountain Province as shared on social media.

Frost, locally known as "andap," was seen in Benguet, specifically in the grassland of Mt. Pulag in Kabayan on January 24, followed by the vegetation in Paoay, Atok, Madaymen and Kibungan starting January 26.

The occurrence of frost was also reported in Balicanao, Sadsadan, Mt. Data, Pactil and Monamon Sur in Bauko, Mt. Province.

Local government units (LGUs), through the municipal agriculture offices (MAOs), are closely monitoring the frost situations in their area. According to the MAO in Atok, there was no reported vegetable damage to date, but close monitoring and surveillance on the sites affected are being undertaken.

Similarly, in Bauko, the MAO reported that based on their initial monitoring in the frost-affected communities, crops that are likely to be affected are cabbages and potatoes in their vegetative stage.

While minimal damages are recorded in the ongoing monitoring of the LGUs, these are not evident and do not affect the supply of vegetables in the trading centers, hence, the vegetable supply remains stable.

The DA-CAR, through its High Value Crops and Development Program (HVCDP), is also closely monitoring with partner LGUs the frost situation. Frost is a yearly phenomenon that occurs in isolated communities at higher elevations when the temperature drops to a single digit.

Historical data of DA-CAR shows that frost presence in the region is particularly experienced in the higher parts of Atok, Buguias, Kibungan and Mankayan municipalities in Benguet and Bauko in Mountain Province, usually during the months of December, January and February.

In previous interviews with farmers in frost-prone areas, they said frost has been there even when they were not yet born and they have learned to adapt to it.

The farmer's practice relative to the situation is to sprinkle frost-affected crops with water using either rain burst or power sprayers to get rid of the icy water before sunlight reaches the crops.