Bill seeks to allow senior citizens to run for government posts

MANILA, Philippines -  Senior citizens can still run for government office during the local and barangay elections under a bill filed at the House of Representatives.

Bohol Rep. Arthur Yap said under House Bill 4230, senior citizens can run and be elected during the election of members of the Sangguniang Pambayan, Panglungsod and Panlalawigan.

He said the bill, which seeks to amend the Local Government Code of 1991, will create a Sangguniang Senior Citizens, Katipunan ng mga Senior Citizens and municipal, city and provincial federations.

In filing the bill, Yap said there were around 5.8 million senior citizens or those aged 60 years and above as of 2007.

“This comprises around 6.5 percent of the entire population. It is projected that by the year 2030, senior citizens would comprise 10 percent of the total population. Yet still, senior citizens have not been properly represented in government, starting from the barangay government,” he said.

Under the bill, the chairman and members of the Sangguniang Senior Citizens shall hold office for a period of three years.

“Senior citizens should have representation in government in order for them to perform an active role in nation building,” Yap said.

“If there is a Sangguniang Kabataan (SK), shouldn’t there be a counterpart senior citizen representation?” he said.

“Historians often state that the Philippine barangay system of government evolved from a council of village elders and that a group of elders, who due to their advanced ages have gathered wisdom that could guide the younger members, were chosen to lead their communities,” he said.

“This historical perspective is not unique to the Philippines. Even the Roman government, upon which most modern republican governments were molded, started with the creation of the Roman Senate, coined from the term ‘senatus,’ meaning council of elders,” Yap said.

He said the influence of the elderly, even in barangay and small town politics, has started to diminish. Much worse, their representation in government has become “very much insignificant,” he said.

Under the measure to be known as the “Sangguniang Senior Citizens Act,” the Sangguniang Senior Citizens shall promulgate resolutions necessary to carry out the objectives of the senior citizens in the barangay and initiate programs designed to enhance the social, political, economic, cultural, intellectual, moral, spiritual and physical development of the members.

The bill will allow the Sangguniang Senior Citizens to hold fund-raising activities, the proceeds of which shall be tax-exempt and shall accrue to the general fund of the Sangguniang Senior Citizens.

The bill provides further that the Sangguniang Senior Citizens will consult and coordinate with all senior citizens’ organizations in the barangay for policy formulation and program implementation.

They shall also coordinate with the appropriate national agency for the implementation of senior citizens’ development projects and programs at the national level and exercise such other powers and perform such other duties and functions as the sangguniang barangay may determine or delegate or as may be prescribed by law or ordinance.