February 10th, 2025
House Ways and Means Chair Joey Sarte Salceda (Albay, 2nd district), presiding officer of the House’s Joint Committee on Senior Citizen and PWD Benefits released the following statement, urging 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. She assured me she will study it carefully.”
“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.”
“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. 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.”
“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.”
“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 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.”
“We have a moral obligation to our senior citizens. Hindi po ito ayuda – this is something they already earned by contributing to the economy all their lives. Karapatan po nila ito. Our pension system is also inadequate.”
“This will also help us eventually transition to universal basic income. Noong pandemic po, isinulong ko ito, kaya after intense debate with the DOF, at least 90 percent of the people were covered by the Social Amelioration Program. The role of taxation is redistributive; we tax those who do very well, so that we can help those who have contributed to the economy in the past, but can no longer support themselves due to old age.”
Through the hearings presided over by Rep. Salceda, the government increased the senior discount on essential goods to P500 from P260, removed the need for the booklet to avail of discounts for medicines, made the application process for the senior citizen rate in electric cooperatives and distribution utilities like Meralco easier, expanded the Philhealth benefits for seniors, implemented the SC discount on top of promo rates, and encouraged more malls to give free parking to seniors. Tollways also committed to provide SC discounts.