Davao City Doubles Annual Aid for Senior Citizens to ₱3,000

THE 20th City Council of Davao City approved on third and final reading an amendment to City Ordinance No. 0954-22 on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, doubling the annual financial assistance for qualified senior citizens from ₱1,500 to ₱3,000.

The amendment, proposed by Councilor Pilar Braga, chair of the committee on education, science and technology, arts, and culture, aims to ease the financial burden on seniors, particularly in covering maintenance medicines and other health-related expenses.

According to a committee report released to the media, Julie Dayaday, head of the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), recommended the increase due to the rising cost of healthcare and medicines.

Beyond the subsidy hike, the ordinance also encourages senior citizens to join accredited senior citizens’ organizations in their barangays to help keep them informed about relevant laws, programs, and activities.

For bedridden senior citizens, a certified representative must obtain a medical certification from the CSWDO social worker assigned to their barangay before the scheduled payout.

To qualify for the subsidy, recipients must be 60 or above and possess an original Senior Citizens ID issued by the Office for Senior Citizens Affairs (Osca). The cut-off for inclusion in the master list is the last working day of May each year. Seniors who turn 60 from June to December will be included in the following year’s list.

As of 2024, CSWDO reports around 168,799 registered senior citizens in the city, though the agency is still consolidating data with Osca for accuracy.

Unclaimed subsidies will be liquidated and returned to the City Treasurer’s Office five days after the scheduled payout. The funding will be part of the city’s annual budget and subject to standard auditing procedures.

Councilor Braga, in an interview on May 6, 2025, expressed confidence that the ordinance will be fully implemented by June, following approval by Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte.

“We feel that P1,500 is too small, especially since this is our senior citizen ayuda para sa kanilang mga gamot (especially since this is meant to help our senior citizens with their medicines), medical needs,” she said. 

The amendment also moves the payout schedule from November to a new window between July and October, aligning it with Elderly Filipino Week in October. RGP with reports from Germa R. Siazon, UM Intern