Reelectionist Senator Joel Villanueva wants to double the monthly social pension of senior citizens to P1,000, saying that it is the least the government could do for a sector that is one of the worst-hit by the pandemic, rising cost of fuel, and inflation.

“The current P500 monthly allowance is not enough for daily subsistence and medical needs of our elderly Filipinos. The pandemic is in its second year, and prices have gone up, and yet their monthly allowance didn’t change. Let’s honor and respect them with a better pension,” Villanueva said.

Villanueva chairs the Senate Sub-Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development, which held a hearing last January on eight measures proposing additional benefits for indigent elder Filipinos.

The senator from Bulacan reiterated the call to increase the pension during a meeting with senior citizens in Quezon City Thursday, April 21. He said that elderly Filipinos have waited for more than a decade for this increase since the enactment of the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.

“We shouldn’t wait for another 10 years or another pandemic just to improve the precious time left for our lolos and lolas,” he said.

Villanueva pointed out that Senate Bill (SB) 2506 under Committee Report No. 597 also mandates the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to review the amount of pension every two years based on the prevailing consumer price index as published by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and relevant economic indicators.

“In fact, the Expanded Senior Citizens Act already provides for a two-year review of the stipend. Once passed into law, we will make sure that the regularity of the review is enforced so that the rate of the pension keeps up with the times,” he said.

Villanueva added that he is hoping that the measure could be passed into law when Congress resumes regular session after the May 9, 2022 elections.

Based on data from DSWD, the country currently has more than 3.8 million indigent Filipinos aged 60 and over. With the current P500 rate, the government allots P23.6 billion every year for the monthly stipend.

“For a country that prides itself in how we take care of its elderly, doubling the allotment for lolo and lola should not be seen as excessive. The respect and dignity they deserve is long overdue,” Villanueva said.

Villanueva is also the co-author of Republic Act (RA) 11350, or the National Commission of Senior Citizens Act, that ensures the full implementation of laws, policies, and programs of the government for senior citizens.