EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
]
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
]
First Regular Session 
]
S. No.
SENATE
737
I . '.
e.. 
■
'19 
JUL 24 
AH ^ 4
Ri:.. 
j L.
Introduced by SEN. SHERWIN T. GATCHALIAN
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING A NURSING HOME FOR HOMELESS AND ABANDONED 
SENIOR CITIZENS IN  EVERY CITY OR M UNICIPALITY IN  THE 
PHILIPPINES, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Filipino culture and society place great emphasis on respect and care 
for our elders. The family unit usually consists of not only the members of the 
immediate family but also of grandparents that are taken in and cared for by 
their descendants. Unlike western societies, Filipinos choose to take care of 
their elders themselves in their homes as a sign of gratitude and respect.
However, there are rising incidents of abandonment and neglect of the 
elderly in the country today. This can be attributed to various reasons such as 
the economic reality of spending for the care of an elderly person which may 
become unbearable for households that do not earn enough, family problems 
that may lead the elderly and their children to become estranged, and the 
incapability to care for the elderly because of a busy schedule or work related 
issues.


The city of Valenzuela is a witness to this phenomenon. In 2012, the city 
established a halfway home dubbed as "Bahay Kalinga". Today, there are 
currently 25 homeless or abandoned senior citizens receiving housing and 
healthcare at Bahay Kalinga. The home serves as a halfway house for the 
seniors while the local government helps them in contacting their existing 
relatives. However, only two of the occupants have been successful in getting 
their relatives to take them in from the home. Because of the low success rate 
of placing the elderly with their relatives, plans are already underway to expand 
the facility in order to house more future occupants.
Bahay Kalinga seeks to provide a "home like" environment for the 
seniors. 
After a check-up at the city hospital to determine their health 
conditions, each occupant are allotted P5,000.00 for their medical needs. There 
are three staff members and a nurse who cares for the occupants daily, while a 
city doctor comes in once a week to give the occupants a medical check-up.
Under Article XIII, Section 11 of the 1987 Constitution, the protection of 
the welfare of our seniors is assured. It states that "[t]he State shall adopt an 
integrated and comprehensive approach to health development which shall 
endeavor to make essential goods, health and other social services available to all 
the people at affordable cost. There shall be priority for the needs of the 
underprivileged, sick, elderly, disabled, women, and children. The State shall 
endeavor to provide free medical care to paupers."
Furthermore, Article XV, Section 4 mandates that "[t]he family has the duty 
to care for its elderly members but the State may also do so through just programs 
of social security."
With the growing number of unattended, neglected, abandoned and 
homeless senior citizens in the country, this bill seeks to establish a nursing 
home that will care for the elderly, similar to services provided by Bahay 
Kalinga, to be operated by the Department of Social Welfare and Development


in every city or municipality in the Philippines.
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passaqp^f this bill is earnestly
sought.


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
]
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
]
First Regular Session 
]
S. No.
SENATE
737
'JWfurcif . fc' .Vic;!'
'19 
JUL 24 
All 'M
Introduced by SEN. SHERWIN T. GATCHALIAN
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING A NURSING HOME FOR HOMELESS AND ABANDONED 
SENIOR CITIZENS IN  EVERY CITY OR M UNICIPALITY IN  THE 
PHILIPPINES, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House o f Representatives o f the 
Philippines in Congress assembled:
1 
SEC. 1. Short title. -This Act shall be known as the "Homes for
2 
Abandoned Seniors Act o f 2019."
3 
SEC. 2. Declaration o f Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the
4 
State to value the dignity of every human person, guarantee full respect for
5 
human rights, extend assistance to its elderly citizens through programs of
6 
social security, and promote the right 
to health and safety of senior citizens.
7 
Towards this end, 
the State 
shall 
extend 
assistance to 
abandoned 
and
8 
homeless senior citizens through a social care and security program.
9 
SEC. 3. Definition o f Terms. - As used in this Act, the following terms
10 
shall mean:
11 
a. Abandoned Senior Citizen refers to a senior citizen who has been
12 
deserted, permanently or temporarily, by his relatives or persons who have


1 
general or legal responsibility over the senior citizen, and/or from whom all basic
2 
care have been withdrawn, whether willfully or not;
3 
b. Homeless Senior Citizen refers to a senior who lacks a fixed, regular
4 
residence, or whose current residence is unfit for human habitation, or lacks
5 
resources to obtain proper housing;
6 
c. Nursing Home refers to a 
home for the aged, 
established and
7 
maintained under this Act by a city or municipality which provides living
8 
accommodations, food and clothing, medical and health care, and recreational and
9 
social interaction activities for abandoned senior citizens or homeless senior citizens;
10 
d. Senior Citizen refers to any resident citizen of the Philippines at least
11 
sixty (60) years of age.
12 
SEC. 4. Establishment o f Nursing Homes. - There shall be established
13 
in every municipality and city, a nursing home to serve abandoned senior citizens
14 
and homeless senior citizens, to be built by the local government units (LCDs)
15 
concerned and shall be operated and maintained by the Department of Social
16 
Welfare and Development (DSWD) in coordination with the LGUs concerned.
17 
SEC. 
5. 
Functions o f Nursing 
Homes. - The nursing homes shall
18 
provide homeless senior citizens or abandoned 
senior 
citizens 
within 
its
19 
territorial jurisdiction institutionalized residential care programs and services such as
20 
but not limited to:
21 
a. Comfortable living quarters;
22 
b. Adequate food and clothing;
23 
c. Medical consultation or treatment;
24 
d. Health care;
25 
e. Occupational opportunities;
26 
f. Recreational and social interaction activities;
27 
g. Counseling;
28 
h. Case conference;
29 
i. Family dialogue;
30 
j. Outreach to existing family for reintegration;
31 
k. Literacy education;
32 
I. Productivity development;


1 
m. Religious, cultural and vocational activities.
2 
SEC. 6. Im plem enting Rules and Regulations. 
- The DSWD, in
3 
coordination with the Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of
4 
Health and the Federation of Senior Citizens Associations of the Philippines, and
5 
Confederation of Older Persons Associations of the Philippines, shall hereby
6 
promulgate the rules and regulations to carry out the provisions this Act not later
7 
than ninety (90) days after its effectivity.
8 
SEC. 7. Exemptions o f the Nursing Home. - The established nursing
9 
home shall be exempted from the payment of customs duties, taxes, and tariffs
10 
on the importation of equipment and supplies used actually, directly, and exclusively
11 
by the nursing home pursuant to this Act, including those donated to the Nursing
12 
Home.
13 
SEC. 8. Appropriations. - The amount necessary to carry out the
14 
provisions of this Act shall be included in the General Appropriations Act of the
15 
year following its enactment into law and every year thereafter.
16 
SEC. 9. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared
17 
invalid or unconstitutional, the provisions not affected thereby shall remain in
18 
full force and effect.
19 
SEC. 10. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, executive
20 
orders, 
presidential 
proclamations, 
rules 
and 
regulations 
or 
parts 
thereof
21 
contrary to or inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified
22 
accordingly.
23 
SEC. 11. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
24 
publication in the Official Gazette or at least two (2) national 
papers of general
25 
circulation.
Approved,