Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

4669

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by REP. FAUSTINO ‘INNO’ A. DY V

EXPLANATORY NOTE

In 2010, the Expanded Senior Citizens Act was passed to provide better care for
senior citizens in the Philippines.

The Act sought to achieve its goal through different ways, one of which was to
provide indigent senior citizens a monthly stipend of 500 pesos.

In 2019—or more than nine years after the Act was passed—indigent senior citizens
are still receiving only 500 pesos every month. With only 500 pesos, a senior citizen in 2019
can buy less food, clothing, and medicines than what he could have in 2010 due to rising
costs of goods and services in addition to inflation.

This proposed measure seeks to correct the disparity caused by inflation and rising
costs by increasing the amount and expanding the scope of the monthly social pension,
pursuant to the Act’s goal to extend better care for our senior citizens.

This proposed measure seeks to do so in three ways:

FIRST. It raises the minimum amount of monthly social pension from 500 to
1,000 pesos per month;

SECOND. It extends the scope of the monthly social pensions from only
indigent senior citizens to all senior citizens who do not have pensions of
their own; and

THIRD. It charges the DSWD, in consultation with other relevant agencies,
with the duty to review the amount of monthly pension every two years, and,
when necessary, increase it.

Thus, this bill hopes to bring the Expanded Senior Citizens Act to the year 2019. In
doing so, this Congress may better express the timeless Filipino virtue that we have all been
raised on: our duty to take better care of the elderly.


In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is eamestly sought.

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USTINO ‘INNO’ A. DY V


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No._4669

Introduced by REP. FAUSTINO ‘INNO’ A. DY V

AN ACT
INCREASING THE MONTHLY SOCIAL PENSION OF SENIOR CITIZENS AND
EXPANDING THE COVERAGE THEREOF

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SEC .1. Section 2 of Republic Act No. 7432, as amended by Republic Act Nos. 9257 and
9994, otherwise known as the “Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010”, is hereby further
amended to read as follows:
“Sec. 2. Definition of Terms. — For the purposes of this Act, these terms
are defined as follows:

xx

"(h) SOCIAL PENSION REFERS TO THE MONTHLY STIPEND
OR MONETARY GRANT FROM THE GOVERNMENT TO
AUGMENT THE DAILY SUBSISTENCE AND OTHER MEDICAL
NEEDS OF SENIOR CITIZENS WHICH SHALL NOT BE LESS
THAN ONE THOUSAND PESOS (#1,000.00) PER MONTH.”


SEC.2. Section 5 of the same Act, as amended, is hereby further amended to read as follows:
“Sec. 5. Government Assistance. — The government shall provide the
following:

"XXX

"(h) Additional Government Assistance

"(1) Social Pension

"[Endigent] ALL senior citizens WITHOUT PENSION shall be entitled
to a monthly [stipend—amountingte—Five—hundred—pesos(2500.00)]
SOCIAL PENSION OF AT LEAST ONE THOUSAND PESOS
(1,000.00) to augment the daily subsistence and other medical needs of
senior citizens|;-subjeet-to-a-review-every-two-(2)-years-by Congress. in
consultation with DSWD].

"THE AMOUNT OF SOCIAL PENSION SHALL BE REVIEWED
AND, WHEN NECESSARY, ADJUSTED OR INCREASED BY THE
DSWD EVERY TWO (2) YEARS AFTER THE EFFECTIVITY OF
THIS ACT, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF
BUDGET AND MANAGEMENT (DBM) AND OTHER RELEVANT
STAKEHOLDERS, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE VARIOUS
NEEDS OF SENIOR CITIZENS, THE NATIONAL INFLATION
RATE, AND OTHER RELEVANT ECONOMIC INDICATORS, AS
REPORTED AND PUBLISHED BY THE PERTINENT
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES OR AUTHORITIES: PROVIDED,
THAT THE SOCIAL PENSION SHALL NOT BE LESS THAN THE
AMOUNT INITIALLY SPECIFIED IN THIS ACT.

"THE COVERAGE OF THE SOCIAL PENSION PROGRAM
SHALL ALSO BE REVIEWED BY THE DSWD, IN
CONSULTATION WITH DBM AND OTHER RELEVANT
STAKEHOLDERS, AND WHEN NECESSARY, ADJUSTED TO
INCLUDE THOSE WHO ARE RECEIVING BELOW BASIC
PENSION.

XXX.”


SEC. 3. Separability Clause. — If any provision of this Act is declared invalid or
unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force
and effect.

SEC. 4. Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees, executive orders or rules and regulations
contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified
accordingly.

SEC. 5. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication
in the Official Gazette or in any newspaper of the general circulation.

Approved,