LEYTE Rep. and senatorial aspirant Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Tuesday vowed to grant more benefits to all senior citizens throughout the country.
“We must acknowledge the contributions of all senior citizens to nation-building and their role in strengthening the Filipino family and our society as a whole,” Romualdez said.
He said he would propose another amendment to the Senior Citizens Act that will give the elderly more benefits and incentives similar to what Makati City now gives to its senior citizens.
The senior citizens in Makati enjoy many benefits, and those include a birthday party that comes with a birthday cake; P1,000 mid-year and year-end allowance; cash incentives ranging from P2,000 to P4,000, depending on their age bracket; 20-percent discount on public transportation, hotels, restaurants and recreation centers; free movies at any theater within Makati; and exemption from parking limits within the Makati central business district.
Apart from those, Romualdez said, the senior citizens in Makati could avail themselves of the services of new and modern health and diagnostic centers in almost all villages providing medicine, dental services, laboratory facilities and regular consultation; hospice care that provides physical, psychological, social and spiritual care at home to terminally ill patients and caregivers; and a daily supply of vitamins.
“In essence, giving more benefits to all our senior citizens will demonstrate our compassion or malasakit for them as they are now in their twilight years after retiring from their jobs and looking after the welfare of their families,” Romualdez said.
“Senior citizens have done their share in building the foundations of our nation, so it is only proper that we give them the recognition, gratitude and compassion that they rightfully deserve.”
Romualdez also said he was now in favor of lowering the age at which senior citizens could receive cash incentives.
“Perhaps we can give a cash incentive of P100,000 to 100-year-old Filipinos and P85,000 to those who have reached 85 years,” Romualdez said. “The average lifespan of Filipinos is 71, so it is already a feat to reach 85.”
Romualdez said it didn’t matter if the senior citizen had worked as farmer, worker, vendor, doctor, lawyer, teacher, policeman or soldier.
“What is important is that they have served the country and contributed to nation-building by paying taxes,” Romualdez said.
“Our responsibility now is to acknowledge their invaluable contributions to Philippine society and attend to their special needs as senior citizens.”