Hontiveros seeks P1,500 monthly social pension for seniors
At A Glance
- Senator Risa Hontiveros is pushing for the passage of the bill providing all senior citizens with a P1,500 monthly social pension to augment their daily living expenses.
Senator Risa Hontiveros is pushing for the passage of the bill providing all senior citizens with a P1,500 monthly social pension to augment their daily living expenses.
Hontiveros filed Senate Bill No. 215 or the Lingap Para Kay Lolo at Lola Act which is one of her priority bills for the 20th Congress.
Senate Bill No. 215 primarily seeks to amend the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.
"Our grandparents' needs increase as they age, especially when it comes to their health. But many of them can no longer afford their medications. That's why sometimes, they choose to spend more on food, water, or electricity than on medicine," Hontiveros said.
"The social pension for seniors has been fixed at P1,000 for a long time and not all of them are getting it. But all of our grandparents need help with their expenses, especially since the prices of medicines and groceries continue to rise," she lamented.
During a Senate hearing, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) revealed that under current laws, the social pension for senior citizens is just P1,000 per month and is limited to indigents.
“We always ask for grandparents’ good health and long life on their birthdays. Let’s work together to pass the universal social pension for seniors so that our wish for them can come true,” she said.