By Rodolfo Dacleson II
(February 10, 2025) – A lawmaker on Monday urged the Senate to approve a measure seeking to grant all senior citizens a P1,000 monthly pension, saying the government has enough money to finance the program.
Albay Rep. Joey Salceda stressed that House Bill (HB) No. 10423 or the Universal Pension for Senior Citizens Act honors the economic contributions of the elderly. It was approved by the House of Representatives last May but has remained pending in the Senate.
“We have a moral obligation to our senior citizens. Hindi ito ayuda. This is something they already earned by contributing to the economy all their lives. Karapatan nila ito. Our pension system is also inadequate,” said Salceda in a report from the Philippine News Agency.
The Senate will resume its session after the elections in May.
Salceda noted that the proposal could be funded by cutting 10% from cash aid programs and increasing taxes on pickup trucks, vape products, and mining.
“The role of taxation is redistributive. We tax those who do very well so that we can help those who have contributed to the economy in the past but can no longer support themselves due to old age,” added Salceda, who chairs the committee on ways and means.
HB 10423 also seeks to expand the coverage of Republic Act No. 11916, which granted a P1,000 monthly stipend for indigent senior citizens only.
Under the proposal, non-indigent senior citizens will receive at least P500 monthly. Five years into its enactment, all senior citizens will be entitled to a P1,000 monthly stipend regardless if they’re enrolled in other pension programs.
More than 3.7 million senior citizens have been receiving a monthly pension, as of July 2024, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, there were over 9.2 million senior citizens nationwide in 2020.
(PM)
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