Higher seniors’ monthly pension, benefits sought

MANILA, Philippines — To simplify the qualifications for the social pension program and increase the monthly pension and benefits of the elderly, Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo filed House Bill 6454 or the proposed “Expanded Senior Citizen Social Pension Act.”

Castelo said the measure aims to improve the amount granted to senior citizens under the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010 (Republic Act 9994).

“When we hear the word senior, we immediately think about the word old. We have to change this to either love or care, at least in the form of assistance and benefits. This is the mindset of not just a respectful but, more importantly, a grateful generation,” the lawmaker added.

 The bill aims to double the social pension to P1,000 and make it available to all senior citizens who are without a source of income or pension and receiving a minimum pension of P3,500 or below from the Social Security System and other public or private social protection system. 

“We have to make it as easy as possible for our senior citizens to receive help from the government and no longer require them to go through the eye of a needle just to receive the help that they deserve,” Castelo said.

 He added that, “our senior citizens deserve help not only when they are sick, disabled or dying, but likewise because they have no other source of income or pension or are receiving way too little to live on in their twilight years.”

 “Congress, through this life-changing move to increase social pension and decrease or reduce complicated requirements, aims to help not just our senior citizens but also their families who can now allocate more of their hard-earned income for other needs,” he said.  

 In a related development, the House committee on population and family relations has approved a substitute bill seeking to protect senior citizens from violence. House Bill 7030 (Anti-Elder Abuse Act) provides penalties for abuses committed against the elderly.

 The abuse includes any act or series of acts committed by any person against a senior citizen, within or without the family abode, which result or is likely to result in physical or psychological harm, suffering or distress, or neglect including threats of such acts, battery, physical assault, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty.