By Manila Bulletin
Published Aug 24, 2025 12:05 am
A proposal to grant all Filipino senior citizens a ₱1,500 monthly social pension through Senate Bill No. 215, or the Lingap Para Kay Lolo at Lola Act, filed by Senator Risa Hontiveros, is a long-overdue gesture of compassion and assistance. At its core, this measure is not just about economic assistance — it is a recognition of the nation’s debt to the men and women who helped build this country.
Currently, under the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010, only indigent seniors — those who are frail, sickly, or without a regular income or family support — are entitled to a ₱1,000 monthly pension from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). This amount, unchanged for years, is hardly enough to cover even a week’s worth of maintenance medicine, let alone monthly living costs. That this amount is still limited to a small subset of seniors makes it even more inequitable.
Senator Hontiveros’ bill addresses both the inadequacy and exclusivity of the current system by raising the pension to ₱1,500 and making it universal. All seniors, whether they are indigent or are funded by a job or a generous child, will welcome any additional income to augment their daily living expenses – and boost dignity.
“Our grandparents’ needs increase as they age, especially when it comes to their health,” Senator Hontiveros noted, emphasizing that most seniors are forced to choose between essentials like food, water, and electricity — often at the expense of their health. As inflation pushes prices upward, this modest increase can be the difference between resilience and suffering.
But financial support isn’t the only concern. Another bill, refiled by Senator Panfilo Lacson, underscores a deeper issue: the erosion of familial responsibility. Lacson’s Parents Welfare Act of 2025, filed in July, seeks to criminalize the abandonment of aging parents by adult children who have the capacity to provide care or support. While many Filipinos still hold firm to traditional values of filial duty, the law confronts a growing reality — not all families remain intact, and not all parents are supported in their final years.
Lacson’s bill, though controversial, proposes penalties for deliberate neglect while still protecting children who were abused or are financially incapable. The bill also allows for the dismissal or reduction of support obligations if the parent had a history of abandoning, abusing, or neglecting the child. It even mandates the creation of “Old Age Homes” in each province — a solution that complements, rather than contradicts, Hontiveros’ universal pension approach.
Taken together, these two bills reveal the need for a multi-pronged strategy to protect Filipino seniors — from financial support to legal safeguards. Currently, seniors are entitled to additional benefits, including 20 percent discounts on basic goods and services, VAT exemptions, priority lanes, and free medical services in government hospitals. But for many, these are not enough.
Why must the government take care of its elderly? Because they once took care of us. Their decades of labor, caregiving, and sacrifice laid the foundation for today’s society. To ignore their needs now is not just unjust — it is shameful.
The Lingap Para Kay Lolo at Lola Act is a statement of national conscience — a promise that we will not turn our backs on those who once gave us everything. The bill, if passed into law, can alleviate financial needs, but more important is, it will serve to honor lives well lived.
