Senator Imee Marcos (left), Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda (Rep. Salceda's office)

Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda took advantage of the recent visit of Senator Imee Marcos to his province in a bid to move the proposed Universal Pension for Senior Citizens Act forward.

This, as Salceda, the House Committee on Ways and Means chairman, prodded the Senate to approve the Universal Social Pension for Senior Citizens Act.

“I talked to Senator Imee Marcos, who chairs the committee discussing the bill, during her visit to Albay. I assured her we can sustain universal social pension fiscally. Kaya pang ilabas sa committee niya during the break. Ako na kako maghahanap ng pondo (Her committee can still release it during the break. I told her I'll take care of the funds)," Salceda said in a statement Monday, Feb. 10.

"She assured me she will study it carefully,” he said of the lady senator.

“Bilang ways and means chair po, pinahahalagahan ng Kongreso ang opinion natin, dahil ang komite ko po ang tagapangalaga ng finances ng bansa. Ngayon po, ako na mismo ang nagsasabi sa Senado, na kaya po nating pondohan ang Universal Social Pension," explained Salceda.

(Congress values our opinion as chairman of the ways and means panel, since it is my committee that oversees the finances of the country. And now, I'm the one telling the Senate that we can fund the Universal Social Pension.)

Salceda is also the presiding officer of the House’s Joint Committee on Senior Citizen and PWD Benefits.

Joey's pitch to Imee

“I proposed to her the following scheme to make it fiscally sustainable: On the first year, we will make it universal for all 70 years old and above. On the second year, universal at 65 years old. On the third year, universal at 60 years old," he said of the proposal.

"All social pensioners already enrolled in the program will keep their benefits. We will index the increase to cost of living, so it catches up to inflation," the Bicolano said.

“I also proposed that we no longer make distinctions between poor and non-poor as to benefit. The point of universal income is it is universal,” added Salceda.

“The incremental cost of the program will be P28.8 billion in the first year, P43.7 billion in the second year, and P68.9 billion in the third year of implementation. We cut the ayuda budget by around 10% next year, and that is enough to cover universal social pension already. Anyway, inflation has slowed down a bit.”

“May mga lalabas din pong batas (There will also be laws) taxing pickup truck sales, vape, and mining. With adjustments in the ayuda budget and the tax increases in these non-essential products, kasya na po ‘yan (that will be enough),” he said.

Salceda said the state has a "moral obligation to our senior citizens".

“Hindi po ito ayuda (this is not financial assistance) – this is something they already earned by contributing to the economy all their lives. Karapatan po nila ito (This is their right). Our pension system is also inadequate,” the ranking solon further said.