JV Ejercito seeks to double seniors’ social pension to P2,000

MANILA, Philippines — Amid rising prices of basic commodities, Sen. JV Ejercito has proposed doubling the monthly social pension for indigent senior citizens from P1,000 to P2,000.

Ejercito’s Senate Bill No. 2522 seeks to amend Republic Act No. 11916, which sets the monthly social pension at P1,000, to address the rising costs of food, maintenance medicines, healthcare, and basic utilities.

“P1,000 a month is simply no longer sufficient to significantly support the daily needs of an elderly Filipino,” he said.

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According to the senator, the modest monthly pension received by many retirees is quickly consumed by expenses for maintenance medicines, medical consultations, food, rent, electricity, transportation, and other necessities.

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“The small statutory pension they receive every month is far from the financial security we envisioned for our seniors,” he added.

READ: DSWD social pension program to prioritize oldest indigent Filipinos

Under SB 2522, the definition of an indigent senior citizen would be expanded to include elderly Filipinos who have no pension or permanent source of income, as well as those who receive a pension, compensation or financial assistance not exceeding P10,000 per month, subject to determination by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The bill would also remove the existing requirement that an indigent senior citizen be “frail, sickly or with disability” to qualify for the social pension.

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If enacted, the measure would also require the DSWD, in consultation with relevant stakeholders and subject to DBM approval, to review the social pension every two years and adjust it when necessary.

The proposed adjustments would take into account the consumer price index, poverty threshold, cost of living, and other relevant economic indicators reported by government agencies.

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“Social pension is not charity. Ultimately, this measure is about how we value those who came before us. Our senior citizens should be able to spend the remaining years of their lives with dignity, not in constant worry about their next meal, their medicines, or their most basic needs,” Ejercito said.

Citing the Philippine Statistics Authority’s 2024 Census of Population, Ejercito said approximately one in every 10 Filipinos is a senior citizen.

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He said the government must also ensure that the social protection system keeps pace with the changing needs of the elderly. /mcm