Pass bill granting P1K pension to all seniors, Senate urged

The Senate should act on the bill granting P1,000 pension to all senior citizens before the 19th Congress ends, two members of the House of Representatives said.

House Bill No. 10423 or the proposed Universal Pension for Senior Citizens Act has been approved by the House on third and final reading in May 2024, but remains pending at the committee level in the Senate.

Acting appropriations panel chairperson Rep. Stella Quimbo and United Senior Citizens party-list Rep. Milagros Aquino-Magsaysay joined an assembly of senior citizens in the Senate to appeal for action on the measure.

“The Universal Social Pension Act is about fairness and dignity. It ensures that no Filipino senior is left behind, regardless of their economic status,” Quimbo said in a statement.

“This is our way of giving back to those who have contributed so much to society. This social pension will be a vital lifeline for seniors without other income sources, significantly reducing their risk of poverty,” she added.

Magsaysay, in a separate statement said, “We urge our counterparts in the Senate to pass the bill before the 19th Congress closes. Nagsusumamo po ang nagkakaisang senior citizens natin na umaaray sa taas ng presyo ng bilihin."

The 19th Congress ends in June this year.

Under the current Expanded Senior Citizens Act, the P1,000 monthly social pension only covers indigent senior citizens.

Such limitation of the benefit to indigents, Quimbo said, is unacceptable.

“This exclusionary provision leaves millions of elderly Filipinos who may not meet the criteria for indigence but still face financial hardships without access to necessary support,” Quimbo said.

Citing government records, Quimbo said that only 783,000 out of the four million seniors who are current recipients of social pension have received payouts due to logistical delays and issues with local government unit’s compliance in liquidation processes.  

“This bill is not just about numbers. It is about lives. Our seniors deserve to retire with dignity and the financial means to meet their basic needs,” she added.

The House version of the bill initially grants a P1,000 monthly pension for indigent seniors while non-indigent senior citizens will get a P500 a month pension.

The same House version of the bill then states that all seniors will have to get a P1,000 monthly pension within five years from the passage of the law.

The Senate version of the measure authored by Senator Hontiveros, on the other hand, provides a higher amount of P1,500 monthly pension for all senior citizens.—LDF, GMA Integrated News