SENATOR Joel Villanueva said that the country’s senior citizens deserve a long overdue increase in their pension in the middle of the pandemic.
“Simple at straightforward po ang layunin ng mga panukalang batas na ito: Isanlibong piso kada buwan para sa indigent nating mga lolo at lola,” he emphasized.
The vice chair of the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare, and Rural Development made this statement in a hearing on eight legislative measures proposing additional benefits for the indigent elder Filipinos.
The senator said that the pandemic highlighted the need to increase the monthly stipend of senior citizens in the country.
“Pinaka-iingatan po natin ang ating mga nakatatanda sa halos dalawang taon ng pandemya dahil high-risk sila sa COVID-19, lalo na iyong may mga comorbidities. Kapag tinamaan sila ng sakit, marami sa kanila ang walang pagkukunan ng pambili ng gamot o pampaospital,” Villanueva said.
He added that five hundred peso is really small for senior citizen stipends, especially if the inflation rate is taken into account. “Kulang na kulang po ito pambili lang po ng maintenance medicines para sa hypertension kada buwan,” he noted.
The hearing tackled budgetary requirements and sourcing of funds for the additional benefits, the orderly and expeditious fund distribution, and overall improvements of delivering welfare to senior citizens.
Villanueva said that the Senate is willing to go the extra mile in providing additional benefits for senior citizens.
“Gagawin nating lahat para matulungan ang ating mga senior citizens. The Committee will work with our resource persons so that we can report this out to the Senate floor soon. Our elderly cannot wait long for this help from the government,” he said.
“Huwag po tayong mag-aksaya ng panahon na iparamdam natin bilang lingkod-bayan ang pagmamahal sa ating mga nakatatanda,” Villanueva said.
The public hearing held on January 25 was attended by representatives of the Departments of Social Welfare and Development; Budget and Management; and Finance. Attendees also included representatives from the National Commission of Senior Citizens, as well as people’s organizations for senior citizens such as the Coalition of Services of the Elderly, Philippine Association of Retired Persons, and Senior Citizens Sectoral Council.
