NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE 
S. No. 1799
Senate
o! the
23 JAN 30 Pl:l7
RECElvr.D BY.
Introduced by SENATOR FRANCIS "TOL" N. TOLENTINO
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A COMPREHENSIVE AND STRENGTHENED NUTRITION 
PROGRAM FOR SENIOR CITIZENS AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS 
THEREFOR, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9994, AS 
AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "EXPANDED SENIOR CITIZENS 
ACT OF 2010"
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Section 15, Article II of the 1987 Constitution states that "The State shall 
protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness 
among them." Section 11 of Article XIII further provides that "the State shall adopt 
an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development. Acknowledging 
the physical disadvantages of the underprivileged elderly, including the 
underprivileged sick, disabled, women, and children, their needs for health 
development is said to be a priority."
According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing, senior citizens or 
people aged sixty (60) years old and over make up 8.5% (9.22 million) of the Filipino 
household population for that year. According to the Commission on Population and 
Development, citing recent data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, the 
percentage of Filipino elderly is rising throughout the years.1
1 Dona Z. Pazzibugan, ‘Opportunity’: PH senior population on the rise, available at: 
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1646487/opportunity-ph-senior-population-on-the-rise (last accessed on 
23 January 2023) (2022).


While the government has already increased the financial benefits and 
privileges of our senior citizens through the expanded senior citizens act of 2010 and 
the act increasing the social pension of indigent senior citizens, it cannot be denied 
that the majority of these financial benefits are just consumed by our senior citizens 
for the purchase of maintenance medicines.
Ageing is a biological phenomenon that is marked by 'temporal continuity, 
heterogeneity on cellular, somatic, and molecular level, and the ability of being 
modulated.'2 The process of aging follows numerous changes in the body, which 
results in an overall decline in the health of an individual. At this point in time, nutrition 
plays a very crucial role and requires special attention as Filipinos reach old age.3 
Good nutrition is very essential in all age groups, most especially in the elderly. It 
provides the energy and nutrients that would help prevent or manage certain lifestyle 
diseases. Unfortunately, our government has somehow been remiss in providing this 
comprehensive nutritional support to our elderly.
As such, this measure, providing a comprehensive nutrition program for senior 
citizens and strengthening our current Philippine nutritional framework, is hereby 
introduced in the fervent hope of ensuring the State's constitutional mandate to 
prioritize the health of an otherwise increasing elderly population in the country.
It is for this purpose that the urgent passage of this measure is sought.
N. TOLENTINO
2 Grass! M., Petraccia L„ Mennuni G., Stephen D.W., Prashanthi V., Val J.L., et. al., Changes, 
functional disorders, and diseases in the gastrointestinal tract of elderly, pp. 559-567 (2011).
3 Damanpreet Kaur, et. al.. Nutritional Interventions for Elderly and Considerations for the 
Development of Geriatric Foods, available at:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6971894/ (last accessed on 23 January 2023) (2019).


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NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
S. No. 1799
of tl): 'vetai^p
23 JAN 30 PI :17
RfCEiVEDB,.
Introduced by SENATOR FRANCIS "TOL" N. TOLENTINO
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A COMPREHENSIVE AND STRENGTHENED NUTRITION 
PROGRAM FOR SENIOR CITIZENS AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS 
THEREFOR, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9994, AS 
AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "EXPANDED SENIOR CITIZENS 
ACT OF 2010"
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
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Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Comprehensive
2 
Senior Citizen Welfare Act".
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the declared policy of the State to 
protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness 
among them.1 To further this policy, our highest law of the land also provides that the 
state shall adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development, 
giving priority to the needs of the underprivileged sick, elderly, disabled, women, and 
children.2
9 
Sec. 3. Section 5 (c) of Republic Act No. 9994, as amended, is hereby further
10 amended to read as follows:
1 1987 Constitution, Article II, Section 15.
2 1987 Constitution, Article XIII, Section 11.


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"Section 5. Government Assistance. - The government shall provide the
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following:
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(a) XXX
(b) xxx
(c) Health
"The DOH, in coordination with local government units (LGUs), NGOs 
and POs for senior citizens, shall institute a national health program and 
shall provide an integrated health service for senior citizens. It shall 
train community-based health workers among senior citizens and health 
personnel to specialize in the geriatric care and health problems of senior 
citizens.
REALIZING THE CONTRIBUTION OF PROPER NUTRITION IN 
THE OVERALL HEALTH OF A PERSON ESPECIALLY OF THE 
ELDERLY, THE NATIONAL NUTRITION COUNCIL (NCC), IN 
COORDINATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (DOH) 
AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS (LGUs), IS HEREBY 
MANDATED TO PREPARE A COMPREHENSIVE NUTRITION AND 
WELLNESS PROGRAM FOR SENIOR CITIZENS WHICH SHALL BE 
DISSEMINATED AND MADE AVAILABLE TO EVERY 
MUNICIPALITY FOR THE AWARENESS OF EVERY SENIOR 
CITIZEN.
LGUS, THROUGH THEIR LOCAL HEALTH PERSONNEL, SHALL 
CONDUCT REGULAR VISITATION TO EVERY SENIOR CITIZEN 
WITHIN THEIR JURISDICTION TO ENSURE THAT THEIR 
SENIOR CITIZEN CONSTITUENTS ARE ABLE TO CONSUME A 
HEALTHY DIET IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE 
NUTRITION AND WELLNESS PROGRAM AND APPROPRIATE TO 
THEIR HEALTH CONDITION.


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LGUS, THROUGH THEIR OFFICE FOR SENIOR CITIZENS
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AFFAIRS' OFFICE (OSCA), SHALL ACTIVELY INTEGRATE THE
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COMPREHENSIVE NUTRITION AND WELLNESS PROGRAM IN
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THEIR RESPECTIVE AREAS. A MONTHLY REPORT ON THE
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STATUS OF THE PROGRAM SHALL BE PREPARED BY THE OSCA
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TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH."
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Sec. 4. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within six (6) months from
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the effectivity of this Act, the Department of Interior and Local Government, in
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coordination and consultation with the National Nutrition Council, the Department of
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Health, and other agencies concerned, shall promulgate such rules or guidelines as
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may be necessary for the proper implementation of this Act.
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Sec. 5. Appropriations. - The necessary appropriations for the conduct of
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regular visitation by LGUs shall be appropriated and approved by the LGUs concerned.
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For national government agencies, the requirements to implement the provisions of
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this Act shall be included in their respective budgets.
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Sec. 6. Separabiiity Ciause. - If any provision of this Act shall be held
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unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions not otherwise affected shall remain in
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full force and effect.
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Sec. 7. Repealing Ciause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders,
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proclamations, and other executive issuances which are inconsistent with or contrary
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to the provisions of this Act are hereby amended or repealed accordingly.
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Sec. 8. Effectivity Ciause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
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following its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
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Approved,