Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Quezon City, Metro Manila
Nineteenth Congress
Second Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. _______
Introduced by REPRESENTATIVES ELIZALDY S. CO and
STELLA LUZ A. QUIMBO
EXPLANATORY NOTE
According to the Philippine Statistics Office, there were approximately 9.2 million
Filipinos aged 60 and above in 2020. Senior citizens are more prone to illness and medical
expenses, increasing their vulnerability to poverty. In 2018, the PSA’s National Health
Accounts reported that health spending for senior citizens amounted to P171.55 billion, or
22% of the P779.22 billion in health expenditures in 2018. 59% of their expenses were out of
pocket. Financially, only around 30 percent of senior citizens in the country receive pensions
based on their work history, primarily through SSS or GSIS benefits. However, many older
adults remain active in society by managing their lives, businesses, homes, and family while
also participating in volunteering despite being unpaid (Fernández-Ballesteros et al., 2011).
Evidently, there is a pressing need for our government to take further steps in securing
social protection for our senior citizens, especially that our population is expected to continue
aging in the coming years. A study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies
estimates that the proportion of Filipinos aged 60 and above will increase from 7.4 percent in
2015 to 11.4 percent by 2030 and 15.9 percent by 2045.
This bill seeks to render eligibility for social pension as mandatory for all Filipino
senior citizens. Currently, under Republic Act No. 9994, also known as the Expanded Senior
Citizens Act, only indigent senior citizens are eligible for this social pension. Through a
measure where all senior citizens are entitled to a mandatory social pension, their basic level
of income security is ensured and thus improving their quality of life.
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
ELIZALDY S. CO
STELLA LUZ A. QUIMBO
August 22, 2023
2:31 pm
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Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Quezon City, Metro Manila
   Nineteenth Congress
Second Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. _______
Introduced by REPRESENTATIVES ELIZALDY S. CO and
STELLA LUZ A. QUIMBO
AN ACT GRANTING UNIVERSAL SOCIAL PENSION TO SENIOR
CITIZENS, FURTHER AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7432, AS
AMENDED BY REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9257, REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9994,
AND REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11916, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS
THEREFOR
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:
SECTION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the “Universal Social Pension for
Senior Citizens Act.”
SECTION 2. Universal Social Pension. — Section 5(h) paragraph (1) of Republic Act (RA)
No. 7432, as amended by RA 9257, 9994 and 11916, is hereby further amended to read as
follows:
"SEC. 5. Government Assistance. - The government shall provide the following:
"(h) Additional Government Assistance
“(1) MANDATORY Social Pension
“[Indigent] ALL senior citizens REGARDLESS OF FINANCIAL STATUS OR
ECONOMIC BRACKET, UPON REACHING THE AGE OF 60, shall be
AUTOMATICALLY entitled TO RECEIVE A MONTHLY SOCIAL PENSION.
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[to a monthly stipend amounting to not less than One thousand pesos (P1,000.00) to
augment the daily subsistence and other medical needs of senior citizens.]
“[The DSWD shall, subject to the approval of the Department of Budget and
Management (DBM), in consultation with other stakeholders, review and, when
necessary, adjust the amount of the social pension every two (2) years after the
effectivity of this Act, taking into account the present consumer price index as
published by the PSA and relevant economic indicators, as reported and published by
pertinent government agencies and authorities.]
“THE MANDATORY SOCIAL PENSION SHALL AMOUNT TO NO LESS
THAN
FIVE
HUNDRED
PESOS
(P500.00)
AT
THE
FIRST YEAR OF
IMPLEMENTATION AND SHALL INCREASE TO NO MORE THAN ONE
THOUSAND PESOS (P1000.00) IN THE SUCCEEDING YEARS, AS THE
BUDGET WILL ALLOW, TO SUPPORT THE DAILY SUBSISTENCE AND
MEDICAL NEEDS OF SENIOR CITIZENS.
“PRIORITY SHALL BE GIVEN TO INDIGENT SENIOR CITIZENS AND
THOSE WHO ARE CURRENTLY NOT RECEIVING ANY PENSION.
“UPON REACHING THE ONE THOUSAND PESOS (P1000) LIMIT, THE
MANDATORY SOCIAL PENSION SHALL BE SUBJECT TO A REVIEW BY
CONGRESS, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE DSWD.
“THE DSWD SHALL ROSTER INDIVIDUALS THAT 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 SSS, GSIS, PGMC AND OTHER PENSION
PROVIDERS SHALL PROVIDE THE DSWD WITH ACCESS TO THEIR
ROSTER OF BENEFICIARIES EVERY MONTH FOR THIS PURPOSE. THE
PHILIPPINE STATISTICS AUTHORITY WILL LIKEWISE PROVIDE THE
DSWD
WITH TIMELY ACCESS TO PERTINENT DATA FOR THIS
PURPOSE.
“xxx”
SECTION 3. Form and Manner of Payment. — The monthly stipend shall be
released to target beneficiaries either in cash, direct remittance, electronic transfer, or other
modes of delivery, whichever is more practical and acceptable to the beneficiary, ensuring its
release in the most expeditious and efficient manner, through any services offered by the
Land Bank of the Philippines.
Any senior citizen may present their National Identification Card to claim their
monthly mandatory social pension.
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SECTION 4. Waiver of Fees. — Any transaction or service fee arising from the
engagement of a service provider for electronic transfer, or other modes of delivery which
service fees for the release of the monthly stipends and other forms of assistance to target
beneficiaries shall not be charged against the target beneficiaries.
SECTION 5. Transfer of Functions from the DSWD. — The implementation,
distribution, and management of the social pension for senior citizens shall, in accordance
with Section 11 of Republic Act No. 7742, as amended by Republic Act No. 11350, be
transferred from the DSWD to the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) within a
period not exceeding two (2) years from the effectivity of this Act.
The absorption or transfer of regular or permanent and other employees of the
affected offices and programs of DSWD shall be done in accordance with applicable laws,
including civil service laws, rules, and regulations and subject to the approval of DBM.
SECTION 6. List of Beneficiaries. — The DSWD, and thereafter upon full transfer
of its functions and programs to the NCSC, with the assistance of the PSA through
community-based monitoring system established under Republic Act No. 11315, otherwise
known as the “Community-Based Monitoring System Act,” and validation by the LGUs, the
list of target beneficiaries shall be updated and validated annually.
SECTION 7. Waiver of Pension. — Any senior citizen may opt not to receive the
mandatory social pension. Any senior citizen who does not claim within forty-five (45) days
are considered to have opted out to receive the mandatory social pension. Unclaimed
mandatory pension fund shall be preserved by the DSWD for the implementation of this Act.
SECTION 8. Undisbursed Fund. — Undisbursed funds shall not be reverted to the
National Treasury and shall be used to augment appropriation for the following year.
SECTION 9. Appropriations. — The mandatory social pension within a period not
exceeding two (2) years from the implementation of this Act shall be added to the regular
appropriation of the DSWD budget in the General Appropriations Act. Thereafter, the regular
appropriation for the monthly social pension for senior citizens shall be included in the
budget of the NCSC.
SECTION 10. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — Within thirty (30) days
from the effectivity of this Act, the Chairperson of the NCSC shall formulate and adopt
amendments to the existing rules and regulations implementing Republic Act No. 11916 to
carry out the objectives of this Act, in consultation with the Departments of Social Welfare
and Development (DSWD), Budget and Management and other concerned government
agencies, as well as nongovernment organizations and people’s organizations of senior
citizens duly accredited by the DSWD, promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for the
effective implementation of this Act.
SECTION 11. Separability Clause. If any provision of this Act is declared invalid or
unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full force and
effect.


SECTION 12. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees, orders, rules, and regulations or
parts thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed, amended, or modified
accordingly.
SECTION 13. Effectivity.
This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,
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