On the occasion of Elderly Filipino week, National Unity Party (NUP) president LRay Villafuerte is appealing to senators to pass this third and final session of the 19th Congress their counterpart to the House-passed measure on an expanded social safety net initiative granting a monthly stipend to all Filipinos 60 years of age and above–now numbering over 12 million–and not only to indigent senior citizens as provided for in the current pension program for the aged.
In the measure—House Bill (HB) No. 10423—already approved by the House of Representatives, a universal social pension program shall be established to grant an allowance of P500 each every month to all elderly Filipinos, and that will be increased to at least P1,000 monthly within five years after this project’s full implementation.
Elderly Filipino Week is celebrated annually during the first week of October, as mandated by Proclamation No. 470 issued by then-President Ramos in September 1994, in recognition of the contributions of Filipino seniors to national development.
“I am appealing to our senators to pass this proposed universal monthly pension, equivalent to an initial P500 and then bumped up to at least P1,000 per beneficiary within five years after this program’s full implementation, as such financial aid will help all elderly Filipinos, and not just our indigent senior citizens, cope with the ever rising cost of essential food items, utilities and medicines,” said Villafuerte, a co-author of HB 10423.
Approved on third and final reading by a 232-0 vote, HB 10423 was one of the measures passed by the House of Representatives during the second regular session of the 19th Congress.
Villafuerte has authored or co-authored an array of laws and bills for the benefit not only of senior citizens but also of other sectors such as persons with disabilities (PWDs) and solo parents.
The House-approved bill provides that the monthly allowance for all senior citizens shall be on top of any other pension benefits that the elderly have been getting or about to receive from other pension providers such as the Social Security System (SSS), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and Pension and Gratuity Management Center (PGMC).
Under this proposal, Villafuerte said the management of the universal pension program shall be transferred from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) within three years.
It mandates the DSWD, he said, to consult the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and other stakeholders in reviewing and, if so needed, adjusting the pension amount every two years, taking into consideration the diverse needs of the aged and pertinent economic indicators, as tracked and published by the appropriate government agencies.
There are over 12 million senior citizens, a third or 4 million of whom are indigents, according to the DSWD.
HB 10423 defines the universal pension for the elderly as a “non-contributory monthly monetary grant” from the government to support the daily subsistence and medical needs of senior citizens.
It states that senior citizens “who are previously not considered as indigents shall be entitled to a monthly stipend amounting to at least P500 upon the effectivity of this act: provided that within 5 years all senior citizens shall be entitled to a universal social pension equivalent to a monthly stipend of at least P1,000 regardless of any other pension benefits they may receive from other pension providers …”
Villafuerte said that the measure proposes that the amount needed for this proposed universal social pension shall be added to the DSWD’s budget in the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA), and later to the GAA outlay of the NCSC upon the full transfer to it of this pension program.
This Act shall take effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Villafuerte has authored or co-authored an array of laws and bills for the benefit not only of senior citizens but also of other sectors such as persons with disabilities (PWDs) and solo parents.
He has authored HB 7980 establishing a long-term care program to keep the elderly productive and resilient against illnesses and other risks associated with old age.
Under HB 7980, local government units (LGUs) are to work with the Departments of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), of Health (DOH) and of Finance (DOF), in implementing the proposed “Long-term Care for Senior Citizens Act.”
It proposes the provision of “homecare and hospice for the frail and dependent seniors, medical and psychological support for old patients requiring continued medical assistance after discharge, and social protection programs that seek to reduce poverty and vulnerability among the aged.”
Villafuerte was a lead author of RA 11916, or “An Act Increasing the Social Pension of Indigent Senior Citizens,” which amended two pro-seniors laws—RA 7432 and RA 9994—by doubling the monthly allowance of an estimated 4 million indigent seniors from P500 to P1,000.
As a result of RA 11916, the outlay for the seniors’ pension program in the 2024 national budget was increased from P25.3 billion in 2023 to P49.81 billion this year, enabling the Marcos government to double the monthly pension of indigent senior citizens.
Indigent seniors are assured of getting the same monthly pension of P1,000 next year, he said, as the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has tucked the same amount in the proposed 2025 national budget of P6.352 trillion.
Villafuerte co-authored, too, RA 11982 or the “Act granting Benefits to Filipino Octogenarians and Nonagenarians,” which amended RA 10868, or the “Centenarians Act” of 2016, by granting a P10,000 cash gift to every senior citizens when he or she reaches 80, 85, 90 and 95.
RA 10868 provided for a P100,000 gift each for seniors when they reach 100 years of age.
An outlay of P3 billion has been included in the proposed 2025 national budget for the government to give the P100,000 cash gift to every Filipino centenarian and P10,000 each to seniors when they reach the age of 80, 85, 90 or 95.
