Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
Nineteenth Congress 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. _______ 
Introduced by: 
ATTY. GERVILLE “JINKY BITRICS” R. LUISTRO 
Second District, Batangas 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Article XV, Section IV provides: “The family has the duty to care for its elderly 
members but the State may also do so through just programs of 
social security.” 
According to latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, there were 
12,336,355 Filipinos aged 60 years old and above as of May 2020.  Based on the 
2020 Census of Population and Housing, our elderly comprises 11.31 percent of 
our total population.  While there have been efforts from the State to provide for 
assistance through RA No. 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act, the said 
law only covers senior citizens who are indigents. 
Enacted laws should be encompassing, inclusive and equal to all our people. 
After more than a decade of the implementation of the said law, it is high time to 
remedy such and allow for a more beneficial and evenly balanced financial aid 
from the State, responding with the current needs of our aging citizens.  This bill 
proposes to mandate the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 
and the National Commission of Senior Citizens to qualify and give financial aid 
to all senior citizens regardless of their economic or financial circumstances.  It 
likewise seeks to increase the monthly pension for our elderly from Five Hundred 
Pesos (Php 500.00) to One Thousand Pesos (Php 1,000.00) while allowing the 
DSWD to allocate the unclaimed funds to all active pensioner by the end of the 
fiscal year – an additional grant to the intended beneficiaries of the law. 
Our elderlies are one of the most vulnerable sectors that has been hit hard by 
the pandemic.  And with the rising cost of living currently being experienced by 
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our people, such additional subsidy from our government can go a long way for 
our senior citizens. 
In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
ATTY. GERVILLE “JINKY BITRICS” R. LUISTRO 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
Nineteenth Congress 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. _______ 
Introduced by: 
REPRESENTATIVE GERVILLE REYES-LUISTRO 
AN ACT GRANTING UNIVERSAL SOCIAL PENSION TO SENIOR CITIZENS 
AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the 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. Declaration of Policies.  The Constitution recognizes vital initiatives 
that foster social justice and order, promote social services, and preserve social 
welfare. Be it noted that Article II, Section IX provides: “The State shall promote 
a just and dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity and independence 
of the nation and free the people from poverty through policies that provide 
adequate social services, promote full employment, a rising standard of living, 
and an improved quality of life for all.” Furthermore, as expressed in Article II, 
Section X: “The State shall promote social justice in all phases of national 
development.” In addition, Article II, Section XI emphasizes the value given by 
the State to the dignity of every human person and guarantees full respect for 
human rights. Furthermore, Article XIII, Section XI provides: “The 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.” More importantly, 
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Article XV, Section IV provides: “The family has the duty to care for its elderly 
members but the State may also do so through just programs of social security.” 
 
Consistent with the aforementioned Constitutional provisions and principles, the 
policies stated hereunder shall form part of the declared policies of this Act: 
 
a) To extend support to our senior citizens by providing monetary resources 
of the government to aid them towards a sustainable and decent living; 
 
b) To strengthen our shared duty in the promotion of basic Filipino values 
especially the rearing of the elderly people; and 
 
c) To further cultivate filial piety as a basic component of kinship and 
camaraderie between and amongst our people.  
 
In consonance with the foregoing policies, this Act aims to: 
 
a) Formulate programs and systems that will ensure propriety and 
uniformity in its implementation, through a comprehensive and inclusive 
approach to senior citizens; 
 
b) Configure existing processes and procedures that will help provide orderly 
conduct of activities between and among senior citizens and their 
availment thereof; 
 
c) Establish norms and customs that will contribute to the development of a 
just and humane society that recognizes and gives value to the 
contributions and sacrifices of our senior citizens in and for our 
communities; and  
 
d) Reduce the number of financially-challenged senior citizens suffering from 
lack of or unwanted retirement plans.  
 
Section 3. Definition of Terms.  For the purposes of this Act, the following 
terms shall be defined as follows: 
 
a) “Senior citizen” refers to an individual aged 60 years old and above; 
 
b) “Qualified senior citizen” refers to an individual, aged 60 years old and 
above, who is eligible to receive the Universal Social Pension (USP), as 
provided for in this Act; and 
 
c) “Universal Social Pension (USP)” refers to monthly stipends amounting to 
PHP1,000.00 which are granted to qualified senior citizens, as determined 
and regulated by the provisions of this Act.  
  


Section 4. Qualifications.  A senior citizen, who is a permanent resident of the 
Philippines, having resided for a period of at least six (6) consecutive months; 
and with good moral character, as certified by a duly executed barangay 
clearance attesting the same, shall be eligible to receive the Universal Social 
Pension (USP); provided, however, that eligibility is not contrary to law or any 
provision explicitly stated in this Act.  
 
Section 5. Universal Social Pension (USP).  Any qualified senior citizen, as 
further determined by the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC), shall 
be entitled to receive the Universal Social Pension (USP). The USP, in the form of 
a monetary grant, shall be given to qualified beneficiaries on a monthly basis, in 
the amount of PHP1,000.00, and regulated by the provisions of this Act.  
 
Section 6. Implementation and Management Plan.  The Department of Social 
Welfare and Development (DSWD), together with the National Commission of 
Senior Citizens (NCSC), in partnership with the Department of Interior and Local 
Government (DILG), shall jointly formulate and devise application, evaluation, 
distribution, monitoring procedures, and other implementing rules and 
regulations of the program for the systematized administration thereof. The 
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) shall be designated as 
the implementing institution that will promulgate rules to ensure compliance 
and congruence with the purposes of and provisions provided for in this Act. 
 
Section 7.  Waiver of Pension.  Senior citizens may voluntarily file a waiver 
through the NCSC.  Unclaimed pension fund shall be preserved by the DSWD 
for the purpose of the succeeding section of this Act.  
 
Section 8.  Undisbursed Fund.  Undisbursed fund shall be divided 
proportionally among the active beneficiaries in the last quarter of the year and 
shall not be reverted to the National Treasury. 
 
Section 9. Funding.  The initial required fund of the program shall be 
determined by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), in 
consultation with the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC), sourced 
out from the available funds of the Department of Social Welfare and 
Development (DSWD). Funds, thereafter, necessary for further implementation 
of this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA), 
subject to the accounting and auditing procedures of the government.  
 
Section 10. Repealing Clause.  All laws, presidential decrees or issuances, 
executive orders, proclamations, administrative orders, rules and regulations, or 
any part thereof, which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby 
repealed, modified or amended accordingly.  
 


Section 11. Separability Clause.  If any provision or part of this Act is held 
invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act shall remain valid and 
subsisting.  
 
Section 12. Effectivity Clause.  This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after 
its official publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of 
general circulation.  
 
 
Approved,