Committed to promoting senior citizen welfare; Bong Go welcomes implementation of law doubling pensions

Senator Christopher "Bong" Go expressed his commitment to continue supporting the welfare of senior citizens in the country, especially the indigent ones, as he lauded the implementation of Republic Act No. 11916 or the law that doubled the social pension of qualified poor senior citizens.

RA 11916, which Go co-authored in the Senate, increased the monthly stipend of indigent senior citizens from PhP500 to PhP1,000. The law also mandated the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to review and adjust the amount of the social pension every two years, considering the consumer price index and other economic indicators.

According to the DSWD, more than 2,000 beneficiaries in the National Capital Region have received their increased social pension since the law took effect in July 2022. DSWD officials also assured that it has enough funds to cover the additional pension for the four million qualified indigent senior citizens.

"Ang batas na ito ay patunay ng aming malasakit at pagpapahalaga sa ating mga senior citizen na nag-ambag sa pag-unlad ng ating bansa. Hindi namin sila pababayaan, lalo na ang mga mahihirap at pinakanangangailangan," Go said.

Go also mentioned his co-authorship and co-sponsorship of Senate Bill No. 2028, which seeks to expand the coverage of the Centenarians Act of 2016 to Filipinos who reach the age of 80 and 90 years old by providing them P10,000 and P20,000 cash gifts, respectively. The bill, principally sponsored by Senator Imee Marcos, was approved by the Senate on the third and final reading in September 2023.

"Nasa kultura na nating mga Pilipino na alagaan ang ating mga nakakatanda. Dapat natin silang suportahan at bigyan ng pagkilala. Habang kaya pang pakinabangan at ma-enjoy ng senior citizen ang cash gift, ibigay na natin sa kanila," Go said.

"Maganda rin na may inaasahan ang ating mga senior citizen pagtuntong nila ng 80, 90 at 100 years old. Anuman ang halaga, maaari itong magsilbing inspirasyon sa kanila para mas maging positibo ang kanilang pananaw at mag-improve ang kanilang katayuan," he added.

Through the Centenarian Act of 2016, a PhP100,000 cash gift is extended to Filipino citizens who reach the age of 100. However, recognizing that not everyone reaches the milestone of a century, Go and his fellow lawmakers have championed the cause of those who make it to 80 and 90 years old.

Meanwhile, Go also urged senior citizens to avail of the services of the Malasakit Centers, which are one-stop shops for medical assistance from various government agencies. He shared that the Malasakit Centers have a special lane for senior citizens to expedite their transactions.

Go is the principal author and sponsor of RA 11463, or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, which institutionalized the Malasakit Centers program. There are now 159 fully operational Malasakit Centers nationwide, which have assisted around ten million Filipinos.

"Sa pamamagitan ng Malasakit Center, mas pinapadali natin ang proseso ng paghingi ng tulong sa gobyerno para sa mga gastusin sa pagpapagamot. Layunin nito na mabawasan o ma-zero ang balance ng mga poor at indigent patients, lalo na ang mga senior citizen," Go explained.

Go then reminded the senior citizens who wish to apply for the social pension program to coordinate with their local social welfare offices and submit the requirements.

Previously, Go called for updating the list of indigent senior citizens in October last year to ensure that all eligible beneficiaries are included.

"Ang mga Pilipino ay family-oriented. Inaalagaan natin ang ating mga matatanda. Kaya naman patuloy kaming magseserbisyo para maprotektahan at mapabuti ang kalagayan ng ating mga senior citizen," Go said.