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Senator JV Ejercito has filed Senate Bill 2522 to double the monthly social pension for indigent senior citizens from P1,000 to P2,000, citing rising costs of basic needs. The bill also expands eligibility and requires regular pension reviews.
Senator JV Ejercito has filed a bill seeking to double the monthly social pension for indigent senior citizens from P1,000 to P2,000 amid rising prices of goods and other basic needs.
Social Pension Bill Raises Benefits
Senate Bill No. 2522 seeks to amend Republic Act No. 11916, the law that doubled the monthly social pension from P500 to the current P1,000. The senator said the current P1,000 monthly pension is no longer enough to cover the needs and expenses of senior citizens. In the bill's explanatory note, Ejercito said: Seniors should not be forced to choose between buying medicine and buying food.
Their lifetime of work and sacrifices should not end in anxiety over whether there will be enough money for the next meal or the next prescription. He added: Social pension is not charity. Ultimately, this measure is about how we value those who came before us.
Ejercito also stated: With the continuing rise in the prices of food, medicines, utilities, transportation, and health care, P1,000 a month is simply no longer sufficient to significantly support the daily needs of an elderly Filipino. He noted that many retirees see their modest monthly pension quickly consumed by maintenance medicines, medical consultations, food, rent, electricity, transportation, and other necessities.
The small statutory pension they receive every month is far from the financial security we envisioned for our seniors, he said. The proposed measure would expand the definition of an indigent senior citizen to include Filipinos aged 60 and above who have no pension or permanent source of income, as well as those receiving pensions, compensation, or financial assistance of not more than P10,000 a month.
DSWD Eligibility And Pension Reviews
Eligibility would be subject to determination by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). The bill would also remove the existing requirement that beneficiaries be frail, sickly, or with disability to qualify for the social pension. Under the measure, the DSWD, subject to the approval of the Department of Budget and Management and in consultation with relevant stakeholders, would review the pension every two years and adjust it when necessary.
The proposed adjustments would consider the consumer price index, poverty threshold, cost of living, and other relevant economic indicators reported by government agencies. The National Commission of Senior Citizens - NCR distributes cash benefits to senior citizens of Pasay City at the Cuneta Astrodome on Feb. 28, 2025.
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gmanews:This story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
Social Pension Senior Citizens Indigent Filipinos Senate Bill 2522 JV Ejercito DSWD
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