On a hot Monday afternoon, approximately 6,000 senior citizens gathered in front of the Senate in Pasay City, advocating for the approval of House Bill No. 10423. This bill, which aims to provide a universal social pension to all senior citizens, was passed by the House of Representatives back in May 2024. The rally was spearheaded by the United Senior Citizens party-list, highlighting the urgency of the bill’s passage before the end of the 19th Congress.
Milagros Magsaysay, a representative from the United Senior Citizens Party-list, expressed frustration over the delay, stating, “There is still time if our dear senators want to pass it because the elders have been patient and waited for the senators to willingly approve it. But it seems that the 19th Congress will just end, without them touching it.” The bill has been with the Senate for eight months, since its approval by the House.
If enacted, House Bill No. 10423 would modify Republic Act 7432, the Senior Citizens Act, which currently provides a PHP1,000 monthly pension to over four million indigent senior citizens. The new bill proposes to extend a PHP500 monthly pension to around seven million non-indigent senior citizens. Over five years, this pension would incrementally increase by PHP100, ensuring that all senior citizens receive at least PHP1,000 monthly, irrespective of other pension benefits.
Additionally, the bill suggests transferring the administration of the universal pension from the Department of Social Welfare and Development to the National Commission of Senior Citizens within three years, aiming for more specialized management of the program.