There’s good news for the elderly in the country.
The House of Representatives has approved on second reading a bill that seeks to broaden job opportunities for elderly Filipinos by providing more incentives to firms who hire them.
House Bill No. 10985, or the proposed Employment Opportunities for Senior Citizens and Private Entities’ Incentives Act, wants government agencies and private entities to hire qualified senior citizens for consultancy and other similar arrangements, to provide more benefits and to improve the working conditions or terms of employment of senior citizens beyond the minimum requirements provided by applicable laws.
Under the bill, the Department of Labor and Employment will work with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Department of Trade and Industry, and Civil Service Commission to “assess, design, implement, monitor and evaluate training programs that shall provide skills and welfare or livelihood support for senior citizens.”
HB 10985 also stops government agencies and offices from collecting fees and charges from elderly job seekers for copies of official documents required for employment.
The proposed legislation reflects government concern over the welfare of the country’s millions of senior citizens.
Described as timely and necessary, HB 10985 seeks to amend Republic Act No. 7432 that aims to maximize the contribution of senior citizens to nation-building and grant them benefits and special privileges.
Likewise, the proposed law encourages public and privately-owned establishments to employ senior citizens, men and women, in exchange for more tax incentives.
Proponents of the bill believe the proposed law would provide more jobs for senior citizens still capable of working in government and private offices.
The proposed bill is timely and relevant as the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) has said that by the year 2030, the country’s population can already be considered an aging one.
An aging population refers to the increase in the percentage of older people, or those aged 60 years and above, in a given country. This also means the number of the young population, or those aged 15 years old and below, is decreasing.
No doubt, once approved, the proposed bill would help improve the living conditions of senior citizens. After all, the 1987 Constitution has emphasized that while “the family has the duty to care for its elderly members…the State may also do so through just programs of social security.” HB 10985 would provide another safety net for our aging population and therefore deserves to be passed by Congress and signed into law as soon as possible.
