MANILA, Philippines - Around 58,000 retired and disabled government employees will start receiving the basic P5,000 monthly pension this year, a far cry from the nearly P300 that some were receiving in the past years.

This after the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) approved the increase as part of a series of initiatives it launched to improve the lives of senior citizens in the country.

"I consider my new pension a blessing and a birthday gift," said 82-year-old Gloria Baykin, a retired public school teacher.

The increase was approved along with the P200 hike in the pensions of 43,000 retired employees receiving over P5,000 but less than P8,000 a month.

The GSIS said it also approved a yearly Christmas cash gift for all pensioners that will be equivalent to the monthly pension each is getting.

The additional GSIS benefits came following calls for more support for senior citizens amid rising commodity prices. - Rappler.com