Rizal 2nd District Rep. Fidel Nograles said he will lend his full support to a bill seeking to increase the monthly pension of senior citizens from P500 to P1,000.
“Our indigent senior citizens need all the help they can get especially during this pandemic. Malaking tulong kung madagdagan natin ang monthly pension nila na sa kasalukuyan ay kakarampot lang,” Nograles said.
“We owe a great debt to our elderly who have contributed much to our nation-building.”
Nograles said he will touch base with the office of Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, the author of House Bill No. 7266, which seeks to amend the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010 (R.A. 9994).
Besides doubling the amount of monthly pension that senior citizens receive, the bill also relaxes some provisions so that more senior citizens could qualify for the pension.
Currently, only senior citizens who are “frail, sickly or with disability, and without pension or permanent source of income, compensation or financial assistance from his/her relatives to support his/her basic needs” as determined by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) are qualified for the stipend.
Thus, only about 29 percent of 7.5 to 8 million senior citizens are covered by the government allowance.
About 29 percent of 7.5 to 8 million senior citizens are covered by the government allowance.
“Makikipag-ugnayan po tayo kay Cong. Rufus para mapabilis natin ang pagsasabatas ng panukalang ito, at aanyahahan din natin ang iba pa nating kapwa-mambabatas na suportahan ito,” Nograles vowed.
“We owe a great debt to our elderly who have contributed much to our nation-building efforts. It’s only right that we repaid their sacrifices by providing the support that they need so they could live decently,” the lawmaker added.