Poe, Angara laud approval of law on higher pension for indigent seniors

FILE PHOTO: Senators Sonny Angara (left) and Grace Poe. Senate PRIB

MANILA, Philippines — Senators Grace Poe and Sonny Angara on Tuesday commended the lapsing into law of a measure that aims to increase the social pension of indigent senior citizens from P500 to P1,000 monthly.

Republic Act No. 11916, which lapsed into law on July 30, was supported by Poe and Angara.

“As principal author of the measure, I thank my colleagues for supporting this important and long-overdue legislation,” Poe said during her manifestation in the plenary session.

“Lahat po tayo tatanda. Ito’y kabayaran din sa pag-aaruga na ibinigay sa atin ng ating mga lolo at lola. Any investment we make on our elderly today will benefit us in the future,” she added.

(We are all going to get old. This is a repayment for the care given by our grandparents.)

READ: Bill seeking higher social pension for indigent elderly now a law

She emphasized that this law allows the elderly to receive better pensions for “better health and life care.”

For his part, Angara expressed his gratitude, saying that Filipino citizens can count on the Senate because they will continue to take care and focus on the sectors that need assistance and help.

“Tayo ay nagpapasalamat at naging ganap na batas na ang pagdagdag ng social pension para sa ating mga senior citizens na ngayon ay magiging P1,000 na kada buwan,” Angara, co-author of the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010, said in a separate statement.

(We are thankful that the increase of social pension for senior citizens has become a law as it would give P1,000 to senior citizens every month.)

“Ito ay napapanahon at nararapat lamang sa sektor na nakapag-ambag na ng malaki para sa ating lipunan. It’s time to give back, ika nga,” he continued.

(This is timely and relevant to the sector that gave so much for our society. As they say, it’s time to give back.)

Both Poe and Angara expressed their gratitude to Senator Joel Villanueva for pushing and sponsoring the bill in the 18th Congress. — Andy Hoo, INQUIRER.net trainee

KGA