COMPOSITE IMAGE: INQUIRER FILE/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE PHOTOS
MANILA, Philippines — A Mindanao lawmaker wants the government to regularly provide people aged 60 and above with P1,000 of maintenance medicine, food supplements and vitamins.
In his House Bill No. 10230 or the proposed “Monthly Maintenance Support for Senior Citizens Act,” Agusan del Norte Rep. Dale Corvera said that while 9.2 million senior citizens were entitled to several benefits and privileges in the purchase of essential goods, “the grant of discounts is largely dependent on [their] disposable income or capacity to buy.”
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He added that the discount benefits become illusory for those with no extra money.
“It is a known fact that senior citizens, because of advanced age, often suffer from several health conditions which require the regular intake of maintenance medicines,” Corvera said.
Providing them with the medication they need would prevent a manageable illness from becoming a serious threat, he stressed. —JEANNETTE I. ANDRADE