House panel OKs P89 billion for seniors’ universal social pension

MANILA, Philippines —  A universal social pension measure has gained a foothold after a House of Representatives committee yesterday approved the budget allocation for the benefit.

The proposed measure would include all senior citizens nationwide, not just indigents, in the current social pension program.

Some P89 billion in the annual budget was earmarked by the House committee on appropriations.

“We have been pushing for the universal social pension as a matter of right of all seniors, not just the indigents. I believe the universal social pension will be crucial to keeping the near-poor and lower middle-income seniors from slipping into poverty,” said Senior Citizens party-list Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes.

Ordanes, chair of the House committee on senior citizens, hopes the measure will hurdle the third and final reading before Congress adjourns sine die later this month.

Laguna 3rd District Rep. Loreto Amante said the appropriations committee had approved a still unnumbered bill that consolidated 10 similar measures.

“We are happy because all senior citizens will now be covered by social pension,” Amante, vice chair of the senior citizens committee, said in an ambush interview.

Meanwhile, Malaya Lolas, a group of comfort women or victims of slavery of the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II, will be included in the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

The DSWD yesterday said it is processing their inclusion in the program.

There are 10 Malaya Lolas members receiving pension since 2021, said DSWD Assistant Secretary for international affairs and attached and supervised agencies Ellaine Fallarcuna.

They started with 24 members but this went down to 18 as of April 12, Fallarcuna added.