Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Constitution Hills, Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO.  ________ 
Introduced by Lone District of Agusan del Norte Representative 
HON. DALE B. CORVERA 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING 
MONTHLY 
SUPPORT 
TO 
SENIOR 
CITIZENS 
OF 
PRESCRIBED MAINTENANCE MEDICINES, FOOD SUPPLEMENTS, AND 
VITAMINS, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Article XIII, Section 11 of the Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines provides 
that 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. 
Article XV, Section 4 of the Constitution further declares that it is the duty of the family 
to take care of its elderly members while the State may design programs of social security for 
them. 
To fulfill these constitutional policies, the government enacted Republic Act No. 7432, 
otherwise known as “An Act to Maximize the Contribution of Senior Citizens to Nation 
Building, Grant Benefits and Special Privileges and for Other Purposes”, which was expanded 
by Republic Act No. 9994, otherwise known as the “Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010”, 
granting benefits and privileges to our senior citizens which are largely characterized by 
discounts and a monthly stipend for indigent senior citizens.  
Although the intention of the law is laudable, the grant of discounts is largely dependent 
on a senior citizen’s disposable income or capacity to buy. For poorer senior citizens who have 
no extra money to buy leisure goods or those that live below the poverty threshold, the discount 
benefits become illusory. 
July 31, 2025
4:55 pm
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In a study about policies and programs for senior citizens in the Philippines (Reyes, 
Arboneda and Asis, 2019)1, it was estimated that about 13.2% of senior citizens were members 
of households classified as income poor while 4.3% were members of households classified as 
subsistence poor. Based on the 2020 Census of Population and Housing, there are 9,222,872 
senior citizens in the country or about 8.5% of the country’s total population 
It is a known fact that senior citizens, because of advanced age, often suffer from several 
health conditions which require the regular intake of maintenance medicines.  
Time and again, we hear pitiful stories of senior citizens resorting to practices in taking 
their maintenance medicines. Short of funds, some senior citizens take medications in 
alternating days. Some cut their tablets in half to prolong their supply, oblivious that a reduced 
dosage might not have any effect at all. For lack of funds to spend on the purchase of necessary 
maintenance medicines, a manageable illness becomes a serious threat to our senior citizens 
because of the complications triggered by improper intake amount.  
Further complicating this challenge to our senior citizens is the fact that the Philippines 
is among the top countries with the highest price of medicines in Southeast Asia. The cost of 
medicines, especially those that are prescribed to be taken as maintenance, are largely borne 
by households. Based on the 2022 Philippine Statistical Yearbook, 45% of the total current 
health expenditure in 2020 came from out-of-pocket expenses of families. Surprisingly, the 
combined share of the government, which includes DOH, LGUs, PHIC, GSIS and SSS among 
others, is also 45%. 
To alleviate the miserable plight of our senior citizens and in recognition of their 
contribution to society, especially during their prime working years, this measure proposes to 
provide support to our senior citizens by shouldering their prescribed monthly maintenance 
medicines, food supplements and vitamins. It will utilize the database and registration system 
of Local Government Units through their Office for Senior Citizens’ Affairs. Regional Offices 
of the DOH, with which the budget for the procurement of the consolidated maintenance 
medicines will be lodged, will utilize the consolidated data for the purchase of the medicines. 
Rural health units in municipalities and city health offices in cities will aid in verifying the 
correctness of the requested medicines by the OSCAs and the accurate distribution of the 
purchased medicines to the OSCAs that requested them. 
In view of the foregoing, immediate approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
DALE B. CORVERA 
Representative 
Lone District of Agusan del Norte 
1 Reyes, C., Arboneda, A. and Asis, R. (2019). Silver Lingings for the Elderly in the Philippines: Policies and 
Programs for Senior Citizens. PIDS Discussion Paper Series No. 2019-09. Available at 
https://pidswebs.pids.gov.ph/CDN/PUBLICATIONS/pidsdps1909.pdf (Accessed: 20 January 2024).  


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Constitution Hills, Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO.  ________ 
Introduced by Lone District of Agusan del Norte Representative 
HON. DALE B. CORVERA 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING 
MONTHLY 
SUPPORT 
TO 
SENIOR 
CITIZENS 
OF 
PRESCRIBED MAINTENANCE MEDICINES, FOOD SUPPLEMENTS, AND 
VITAMINS, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES 
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 “Monthly Maintenance 
Support for Senior Citizens Act”. 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. – As provided under Article XIII, Section 11 of the 
Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines, it is a declared policy that 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. 
Article XV, Section 4 of the Constitution further declares that it is the duty of the family 
to take care of its elderly members while the State may design programs of social security for 
them. 
SEC. 3. Objectives. – This Act shall serve the following objectives: 
(a)
To give full support to the improvement of the total well-being of the elderly
and their full participation in society, considering that senior citizens are integral
part of the Philippine society;
(b)
To provide a healthcare support system for senior citizens to foster their
capacity to attain a more meaningful and productive ageing.
SEC. 4. Monthly Maintenance Support. – The Department of Health, in coordination 
with the National Commission of Senior Citizens and Local Government Units, shall provide 
all registered senior citizens with monthly prescribed maintenance medications, food 
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supplements, and vitamins essential for the improvement of their total well-being, in the 
amount not exceeding One Thousand Pesos (PhP 1,000.00) per senior citizen at no cost to the 
senior citizens. 
 
SEC. 5. Registration of Senior Citizens. – Local Government Units, through their 
Office for Senior Citizens’ Affairs (OSCA), shall maintain, regularly update, and provide a 
registry of all senior citizens residing within their territorial jurisdiction.  
 
SEC. 6. Duty of Senior Citizens and their Guardians. – It shall be the duty of senior 
citizens to register and update their records, including most recent valid prescriptions, with the 
OSCA to be included in the free monthly maintenance support program. Senior citizens who 
are suffering from mental incapacity or disability in such degree that prevents them from 
registering or updating their records must be represented by the senior citizen’s court 
appointed. In the absence of such guardian the duty to register and update shall be in accordance 
with the order established under Article 199 of the Family Code.  
 
For purposes of this Act, a medical prescription is considered valid until six (6) months 
from the date of its issuance. 
 
In conjunction with this duty, Local Government Units shall adopt mechanisms that 
will allow easy, fast, convenient, and accessible registration for senior citizens. 
 
SEC. 7. Role of Rural Health Units and City Health Offices. – OSCAs shall submit the 
list of their respective registered senior citizens and requested medicines to the Rural Health 
Units (RHUs) in municipalities and City Health Offices (CHOs) in cities for consolidation, 
verification, and removal of duplicate registrations. RHUs and CHOs shall ensure the 
appropriate distribution of purchased maintenance medicines to senior citizens. 
 
SEC. 8. Role of DOH Regional Offices. – To expedite the implementation of the 
Monthly Maintenance Support Program, the budget for the program shall be placed in the DOH 
Regional Offices. DOH Regional Offices shall have the capacity to purchase medicines for this 
program, guided by the list of requested medicines and subject to existing laws, rules and 
regulations. Maintenance medicines purchased by the DOH Regional Offices shall be 
immediately released to the RHUs and CHOs upon delivery. 
 
SEC. 9. Appropriations. – The amount necessary for the initial implementation of this 
Act shall be sourced from the current budget of the DOH. Thereafter, such sums as may be 
necessary for the continued implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual General 
Appropriations Act. 
 
SEC. 10. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within ninety (90) days from the 
approval of this Act, the DOH, NCSC, DILG and other relevant government agencies, shall 
formulate the rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.  
 
SEC. 11. Separability Clause. – If, for any reason, any section, clause or term of this 
Act is held to be illegal, invalid, or unconstitutional, such parts not affected by such declaration 
shall remain in full force and effect. 
 


SEC. 12. Repealing Clause. – All laws, presidential decrees, issuances, executive 
orders, letters of instruction, rules, and regulations inconsistent with the provisions of this Act 
are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
 
SEC. 13. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
Approved,