Bill doubling indigent seniors’ monthly pension to P1,000 sponsored in Senate │ GMA News Online

The bill looking for to enhance the social pension for indigent senior citizens from P500 to P1,000 has currently achieved the Senate plenary.

Senator Joel Villanueva, who was specified by detained Senator Leila De Lima, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Social Justice, sponsored Senate Monthly bill 2506 on the floor.

“With Senate Bill No. 2506, this illustration hopes that our indigent senior citizens will get an added P500 or a total of P1,000 regular monthly pension allowance. This initiative serves as a smaller token of appreciation to clearly show how we price our elders for their immeasurable contribution to our local community,” Villanueva said.

“Other than the raise in the social pension for senior citizens from P500 to P1,000, the monthly bill also provides alternatives other than funds payout for the pension to attain the target beneficiary. The transaction charge, if any, shall not be billed to the beneficiary,” he included.

In consultation with his colleagues and representatives of the Departments of Social Welfare and Improvement, and Price range and Management, as well as the Nationwide Fee of Senior Citizens, Coalition of Companies of the Aged and Senior Citizens Sectoral Council, the stakeholders agreed that the existing P500 regular monthly allowance if “not ample to increase the each day subsistence and other healthcare wants of our indigent Senior Citizens.”

The P500 monthly allowance was offered less than Republic Act 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.

“Ang limandaang piso noon ay hindi na po kasinhalaga ng limandaang piso ngayon,” Villanueva highlighted.

(P500 is no for a longer period well worth what it was.)

“Kung ibabatay po natin sa datos ng DSWD, aabot sa mahigit 3.8 milyon ang indigent Filipinos aged 60 and above. Sa P500 kada buwan, nasa P23.6 bilyon ang kasalukuyang allotment para sa social pension kada taon. Para sa bansang labis ang pagpapahalaga sa ating mga lolo at lola, hindi naman po siguro kalabisan kung dodoblehin ang allotment na ito kada taon,” he stated.

(In accordance to the DSWD, there are around 3.8 million indigent Filipinos aged 60 and in excess of. At P500 a month, the latest allotment for their social pension stands at P23.6 billion. A place that values its elderly must not obtain it too much if that yearly allotment is doubled.)

With the passage of RA 11350 or the Countrywide Fee of Senior Citizens Act in 2019, Villanueva said it is considered suitable to transfer the function of distributing the social pension from DSWD industry workplaces to the National Fee of Senior Citizens.

“This evaluate is reliable with Sustainable Advancement Plans No. 1 to conclusion poverty in all its varieties in all places and No. 3 to guarantee wholesome lives and endorse properly-getting for all at all ages. Write-up 13, Section 11 of the 1987 Constitutions also makes sure that there shall be priority for the requirements of the underprivileged, ill, aged, disabled, gals and young children,” Villanueva mentioned.

“I urge our colleagues’ support for the passage of this evaluate,” he finished. — BM, GMA Information