Co-Sponsorship Speech for Senate Bill No. 2506 “An Act Increasing the Social Pension of Indigent Senior Citizens and Appropriating Funds Therefor, Amending for The Purpose Republic Act No. 7432 Entitled, ‘An Act to Maximize the Contribution of Senior Citizens to Nation Building, Grant Benefits and Special Privileges and For Other Purposes,’ As Amended, And for Other Purposes” Session Hall, Senate of the Philippines Senator Leila M. de Lima 2 February 2022 Mr. President, esteemed colleagues, With Sen. Joel Villanueva as the Subcommittee Chair and the members of the Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development, I wish to submit and seek the approval of the proposed Senate Bill No. 2506 under Committee Report No. 597 entitled: “AN ACT INCREASING THE SOCIAL PENSION OF INDIGENT SENIOR CITIZENS AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7432 ENTITLED, ‘AN ACT TO MAXIMIZE THE CONTRIBUTION OF SENIOR CITIZENS TO NATION BUILDING, GRANT BENEFITS AND SPECIAL PRIVILEGES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES,’ AS AMENDED, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.” According to the World Health Organization, senior citizens continue to be one of the most vulnerable groups of our population. With their needs oft ignored and their sector vastly underrepresented, it is hardly surprising, but no less tragic, that the elderly are one of those hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of senior citizens in the Philippines is rising at a rate faster than our total population.1 The Commission on Population and Development (PopCom) has gone on record stating that the country would have an “aging population” between 2030 and 2035.2 PopCom even revealed that as we approach this “demographic transition”, the unfortunate reality is that while Filipinos are living longer, they are in poorer health and socio-economic conditions. Despite being armed with the knowledge that we are nearing a transition that would bear witness to an aging population, the State, PopCom lamented, has failed to make social protection systems catch up with social conditions. Masaklap isipin na marami sa mga benepisyong 1 HelpAge Global Network (NA) Ageing population in the Philippines. Retrieved from: Ageing population in the Philippines 2 https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1075493/philippines-to-have-aging-population-between-2030-and-2035cpd#ixzz7JbL8zOtK
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dapat natatangap ng ating tinatanging mga senior citizens, ay hindi nila tunay nadarama sapagkat ito ay kadalasa’y hindi sapat. I thus echo the observations of PopCom, Filipino senior citizens are truly “only partially reaping the benefits of better health and social conditions.”3 We must, therefore, act swiftly in anticipation of this development. With this bill, Mr. President, we will increase the monthly pension of around 3.8 million senior citizens across the country from ₱500 to not less than ₱1000. Gawin nating sapat ang tulong na hatid natin sa kanila lalo na sa panahon ngayong lahat ng bilihin ay nagtaas ng presyo, at ang mga pangunahing pangangailangan nila ay hindi kayang tugunan ng halagang kasalukuyang natatanggap nila. Let us give them dignity even, and most especially, at this stage in their lives where they are becoming more vulnerable to socio-economic challenges and physical limitations brought about by their age. This bill also provides for an alternative manner and form of payment to qualified beneficiaries and mandates the waiving of transaction and service fees, among others. Ultimately, we have to address the fact that older persons who have little or no income relying on pension bear the highest cost when it comes to caring for their basic needs. This measure is but one step towards strengthening our Social Pension program and our ultimate goal to make it inclusive and UNIVERSAL. However, in the interest of time, I submit to the wisdom of this chamber in pursuing this measure at hand with the end in view of showing that investments on our senior citizens is an investment also in our economy. This is not a sunk cost for it will ultimately redound to better health of our senior citizens and greater welfare of their families. This, in turn, will lead to a stronger and more productive populace. The increased consumption brought about by this measure is just an added bonus for our country’s economy. Nawa ang isang hakbang na ito ay maging panimula ng marami pa nating tatahakin tungo sa isang lipunang yumayakap sa lahat ng matatanda na may respeto at kalinga. The journey towards tomorrow is taken with all these steps – big and small, with a prayer of hope that the future would be better and brighter for all our dear senior citizens. 3 https://popcom.gov.ph/pinoys-living-longer-but-in-poor-health/
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As a senior citizen myself, I understand this measure from the advocates’ perspective. It is a privilege to age and celebrate the gift of life that God gave us. But as we reach old age, the decline of senior citizens’ productive capacity exposes their sector to various vulnerabilities, and the government must be there to afford them the support they need together with their families. Sa dapit-hapon ng kanilang buhay, hayaan nating sariwain nila ang lahat ng kontribusyon nila sa lipunan na may dignidad at suportang galing sa pamahalaan. Alalahanin natin ang lahat ng kanilang naiambag sa bayan sa panahong sila ay malakas pa. “Lahat tayo, tatanda din.” I hereby appeal to my colleagues to lend their support for this measure as a tribute to our beloved elderly. Maraming salamat!
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