House passes bill creating National Commission of Senior Citizens

STUDY BUDDIES Senior citizens are taught how to use the computer’s video interfaces to connect with grandchildren abroad under a unique program offered by the Dagupan City Library. YOLANDA SOTELO/INQUIRER NORTHERN LUZON (File photo)

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives approved on Tuesday on third and final reading a bill creating the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC).

The lower chamber approved House Bill (HB) No. 8837 with 175 votes in the affirmative. The bill seeks to amend Republic Act No. 9994 or the “Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010” and abolish the National Coordinating Council and Monitoring Board.

Also on Tuesday, the Senate approved on third and final reading their counterpart measure, Senate Bill No. 2159.

Senior Citizen Rep. Francisco Datol Jr., an author of HB 8837, said that with both chambers’ approval of the proposal, they are now confident that Congress would ratify it before it goes into recess on February 6.

“This bill is a fitting early Valentine’s offering to our beloved seniors because the NCSC will become the strong national implementation and coordination body linking all the senior citizens’ affairs offices of local governments nationwide,” Datol said in a statement.

“I hope President Duterte will constitute the NCSC by appointing its chairman and commissioners by this coming summer so that we could have a fully-operational NCSC by around Grandparents Day on September 18 with the approval of the implementing rules and regulations by that time,” he added.

HB 8837 aims to “create a cohesive government agency that will implement and enforce the laws and monitor compliance, to properly address the needs of senior citizens.”

It specifically aims to create the NCSC as an attached agency to the Office of the President “responsible for the implementation of policies, plans and programs for the welfare of senior citizens.”

Members of the said commission would be appointed by the President and would serve a term of six years, according to the bill.

HB 8837 also seeks to transfer the functions and programs being undertaken by the Department of Social Welfare and Development for senior citizens.

Congress needs to convene a bicameral conference committee to reconcile the House and Senate versions of the proposed measure before both chambers could ratify it and send it to President Rodrigo Duterte for signature and enactment into law. /kga/ac