PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has transferred the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) from the Office of the President to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to strengthen policies and programs for the elderly.
The President, through Executive Order No. 96 issued on September 18, also ordered the DSWD to continue supervising the implementation of the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens (SPISC) program, which provides a P1,000 monthly pension to poor and vulnerable senior citizens that they can use for their daily subsistence and medical needs.
Marcos said that the transfer of the NCSC is pursuant to the administration’s eight-point socioeconomic agenda, “which includes improving bureaucratic efficiency”.
“A strong organizational link between the NCSC and DSWD must be established to further strengthen policies and programs for senior citizens, with the goal of enhancing delivery of social services and promoting the overall well-being and protection of the elderly,” he added in the EO.
The NCSC was established under Republic Act No. 11350 or the National Commission of Senior Citizens Act of 2019 to ensure full implementation of laws, policies, and programs for the promotion and protection of the rights and well-being of senior citizens.
Under that law, all DSWD functions, programs, projects, and activities for the poor, vulnerable, and disadvantaged senior citizens shall be transferred to the NCSC, which was attached to the Office of the President.
