House panel OKs bill doubling social pension for elderly

MANILA – A measure proposing to double the amount of social pension for senior citizens from the current PHP500 to PHP1,000 hurdled committee level at the House of Representatives.

During a hearing on Wednesday, the House Committee on Appropriations approved the still unnumbered substitute bill that seeks to amend Republic Act 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010 and grant additional benefits to Filipino senior citizens.

The social pension refers to a non-contributory monetary grant from the government to support the daily subsistence and medical needs of senior citizens, which shall amount to PHP1,000 per month once the bill is enacted into law.

Under the bill, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) shall be mandated to prepare a roster of individuals who are eligible for the monthly social pension based on a central database which includes the census of population and housing and a compilation of the beneficiaries of all pension providers.

The measure also proposes that the amount and coverage of the social pension program be reviewed every two years after its enactment into law.

The implementation, distribution, and management of the social pension shall be transferred from the DSWD to the National Commission on Senior Citizens.