There's only two weeks to go in the current 19th Congress, but Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda believes there's enough time to pass the Universal Social Pension for all Filipino senior citizens.
To do that, Salceda, the chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, needs the help of Senator Imee Marcos, one of the key Senate advocates of the measure. That's why on Thursday, May 15, the Bicolano wrote the Ilocano an urgent letter.
In his letter, Salceda reaffirmed his full support for a version of the measure that grants P500 per month to all Filipinos aged 60 to 69, and P1,000 per month to those aged 70 and above, with annual inflation adjustments—all while maintaining the existing P1,000 per month for indigent seniors.
“We are down to the last two session weeks. If there is a time to do this, it’s now. This is a legacy we can afford to leave the Filipino people,” said Salceda, who will step down as congressman at the end of the 19th Congress on June 13.
On the other hand, Senator Marcos had just been reelected.
Salceda described the measure as both fiscally viable and morally compelling. He submitted to the lady senator a fiscal note estimating the 2025 cost of the proposal at P88.2 billion, covering 10.1 million senior citizens nationwide.
He emphasized that the proposal is fundable without new taxes and can be supported through:
-P41 billion in rationalized "ayuda", including Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD), Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP), and other duplicative or leakage-prone programs;
-P47 billion in fiscal management mechanisms, including government-owned or controlled corporation (GOCC) dividend enforcement, national government savings, and a Q2 (second quarter) implementation start.
“We’re consolidating scattered and politicized cash doles into a clear, rights-based entitlement. It’s more efficient, more humane, and more just,” Salceda said.
He further positioned the measure as a first step toward universal basic income, made increasingly necessary by labor-displacing technologies.
“This is the logic behind taxing foreign digital giants. As technology replaces labor, we must capture productivity and return it to people in the form of social dividends. A universal pension for the elderly is where we start,” Salceda added.
Salceda commended Senator Marcos for her leadership and pledged to support the measure in the House.
“I will do my part—in the airwaves, through research, and by helping secure the votes of our colleagues. This is a unifying cause. The fiscal math is sound. The moral case is undeniable. We can finish this in the 19th Congress,” he concluded.