Republic of the Philippines

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House of Representatives ? RECE
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Eighteenth Congress
First Regular Session
3038
House Bill No.

Introduced by Representatives
ESTRELLITA B. SUANSING AND HORACIO P. SUANSING, JR.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

‘The Philippines is steadily aging, with more than 5 million Filipinos who
are over 65 years old. Laws have been put in place to ensure that the welfare
of our senior citizens will be protected, such as Republic Act No. 10645,
providing for mandatory PhilHealth coverage for senior citizen, and Republic
Act No. 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010, which provides for
social pension to indigent senior citizens to augment their daily subsistence
and other medical needs.

However, more than half of the country’s senior citizens receive no
pension, whether contributory or social.! The increasing health risks, limited
livelihood opportunities and rising costs of services put our senior citizens in
a most vulnerable position.

This bill seeks to address these concerns by increasing the monthly
social pension of senior citizens from P500.00 to P1,000.00, as well as expand
its coverage to include all senior citizens without any form of pension, and
will be reviewed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development in
consultation with the Department of Budget and Management and other
relevant stakeholders.

In view of the foregoitig, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

REP. HORAC! ‘SUANSING, JR.
“st District, Nueva Ecij 2n4 District, Sultan Kudarat

Coalition of Services of the Elderly


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Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Quezon City

Eighteenth Congress
First Regular Session

House Bill No. __ 3938

Introduced by Representatives
ESTRELLITA B. SUANSING AND HORACIO P. SUANSING, JR.

AN ACT

INCREASING THE MONTHLY SOCIAL PENSION OF SENIOR CITIZENS

AND EXPANDING THE COVERAGE THEREOF

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

Congress assembled:

SECTION 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:

“xxx

“{(h) indigent senior citizen refers to any elderly who is frail, sickly,
or with disability, and without pension or permanent source of
income, compensation or financial assistance from his/her relatives
to support his/her basic needs, as determined by the Department of
Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in consultation with the

National Coordinating and Monitoring Board.]

“(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 (P1,000.00) 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:

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“(h) Additional Government Assistance
“(1) Social Pension

“{Indigent] ALL senior citizens WITHOUT PENSION shall be entitled
to a monthly [stipend amounting to Five hundred pesos (P500.00)]
SOCIAL PENSION OF AT LEAST ONE THOUSAND PESOS
{P1,000.00) to augment the daily subsistence and other medical
needs of senior citizens [, subject 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

E THAN THE AMOUNT INITIALLY SPECIFIED IN

“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 general
circulation.

Approved,