Senior Citizen Partylist Rep. Rodolfo “Ompong” Ordanes has praised the implementation of the additional P500 social pension for indigent senior citizens.
Ordanes said starting this month, indigent senior citizens would receive a total of P1,000 monthly social pension.
Earlier, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sonny Angara confirmed that around 4.1 million indigent senior citizens will each receive P12,000 in social pension this year with the full implementation of Republic Act 11916.
As the Chairman of the Committee on Finance that went over the 2023 national budget, Angara said a total P50 billion was provided under the P5.268 trillion General Appropriations Act for the social pension for indigent seniors.
Ordanes, chairman of the House Special Committee on Senior Citizens, pushed for the measure doubling the amount of social pension given to senior citizens.
The solon also stressed the need to allocate enough funds under the 2023 national budget for the implementation of RA 11916 o ang Social Pension Act which was signed into law last July 2022.
“Napapanahon ang karagdagang pensyon sa ating mahihirap na lolo at lola dahil makakatulong ito sa kanilang mga pangangailangan, lalo na sa kanilang mga gamot,” Ordanes said.
The solon stressed that the additional pension is a simple way to recognize the importance of senior citizens’ contribution to the country.
At present, the lawmaker is pushing for the enactment of ‘Universal Social Pension Program for All Senior Citizens’ aiming to give pensions to all 60 years old and up regardless of their social status.