Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. ______ 
_________________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by 
Senior Citizens Party-List Representative RODOLFO “OMPONG” M. ORDANES 
_________________________________________________________________________ 
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). 
February 3, 2023
1:43 pm
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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. 
RODOLFO “OMPONG” M. ORDANES 
1 Grassi 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).
2 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). 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. ______ 
_____________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by 
Senior Citizens Party-List Representative RODOLFO “OMPONG” M. ORDANES 
_____________________________________________________________________ 
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: 
1 
Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Comprehensive 
2 
Senior Citizen Welfare Act". 
3 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. -  It is the declared policy of the State to 
4 
protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness 
5 
among them.1 To further this policy, our highest law of the land also provides that the
6 
state shall adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development, 
7 
giving priority to the needs of the underprivileged sick, elderly, disabled, women, and 
8 
children.2 
9 
Sec. 3. Section 5 (c) of Republic Act No. 9994, as amended, is hereby further 
1o 
amended to read as follows: 
1 1987 Constitution, Article 11, Section 15. 
2 1987 Constitution, Article XIII, Section 11. 
7064


 
 
 
1 
"Section 5. Government  Assistance.  - The government shall provide the 
2 
following: 
 
3 
(a) XXX 
4 
(b) XXX 
5 
(c) Health 
 
6 
"The DOH, in coordination with local government units (LGUs), NGOs 
7 
and POs for senior citizens, shall institute a national health program and 
8 
shall provide an integrated health service for senior citizens. 
It shall 
9 
train community-based health workers among senior citizens and health 
10 
personnel to specialize in the geriatric care and health problems of senior 
11 
citizens. 
 
12 
REALIZING THE CONTRIBUTION OF PROPER NUTRITION IN 
13 
THE OVERALL HEALTH OF A PERSON 
ESPECIALLY OF THE 
14 
ELDERLY, THE NATIONAL NUTRITION 
COUNCIL (NCC), IN 
15 
COORDINATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (DOH) 
16 
AND 
LOCAL GOVERNMENT 
UNITS 
(LGUs), 
IS 
HEREBY 
17 
MANDATED TO PREPARE A COMPREHENSIVE NUTRITION AND 
18 
WELLNESS PROGRAM FOR SENIOR CITIZENS WHICH SHALL BE 
19 
DISSEMINATED 
AND 
MADE 
AVAILABLE 
TO 
EVERY 
20 
MUNICIPALITY FOR THE 
AWARENESS OF EVERY SENIOR 
21 
CITIZEN. 
 
22 
LGUS, THROUGH THEIR LOCAL HEALTH PERSONNEL, SHALL 
23 
CONDUCT REGULAR VISITATION TO EVERY SENIOR CITIZEN 
24 
WITHIN THEIR 
JURISDICTION TO 
ENSURE THAT THEIR 
25 
SENIOR CITIZEN CONSTITUENTS ARE ABLE TO CONSUME A 
26 
HEALTHY DIET IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE 
27 
NUTRITION AND WELLNESS PROGRAM AND APPROPRIATE TO 
28 
THEIR HEALTH CONDITION


 
1 
LGUS, 
THROUGH 
THEIR 
OFFICE FOR SENIOR
 CITIZENS 
2 
AFFAIRS’ OFFICE (OSCA), SHALL ACTIVELY INTEGRATE THE 
3 
COMPREHENSIVE NUTRITION AND WELLNESS PROGRAM IN 
4 
THEIR RESPECTIVE 
AREAS. A MONTHLY REPORT ON THE 
5 
STATUS OF THE PROGRAM SHALL BE PREPARED BY THE OSCA 
6 
TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.” 
 
7 
Sec. 4. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within six (6) months from 
8 
the effectivity of this Act, the Department of Interior and Local Government, in  
9 
coordination and consultation with the National Nutrition Council, the Department of 
10 
Health, and other agencies concerned, shall promulgate such rules or guidelines as 
11 
may be necessary for the proper implementation of this Act. 
 
12 
Sec. 5. Appropriations. - The necessary appropriations for the conduct of 
13 
regular visitation by LGUs shall be appropriated and approved by the LGUs concerned. 
14 
For national government agencies, the requirements to implement the provisions of 
15 
this Act shall be included in their respective budgets. 
 
16 
Sec. 6. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act shall be held 
17 
unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions not otherwise affected shall remain in 
18 
full force and effect. 
 
19 
Sec. 
7. 
Repealing 
Clause. 
- 
All laws, 
decrees, 
executive orders, 
20 
proclamations, and other executive issuances which are inconsistent with or contrary 
21 
to the provisions of this Act are hereby amended or repealed accordingly. 
 
22 
Sec. 8. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
23 
following its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
24 
Approved,