Gov’t asked to ease flow of seniors’ benefits

The government must look for ways to make sure that seniors receive the benefits due them without so many bureaucratic hurdles, a party-list lawmaker said on Thursday, after the House approved a bill granting a P1-million cash incentive to the country’s 5,000 centenarians.

“Government agencies should facilitate the processing of claims of added benefits for our centenarians, as many of them are already suffering from illness and could barely walk,” said Buhay Rep. Jose “Lito” Atienza.

The House special committee on senior citizens on Wednesday approved Atienza’s House Bill No. 1107, which gives Filipinos 101 years old and above a P1-million cash grant, as well as additional benefits to the country’s 10 million senior citizens.

Atienza, however, lamented that only 941 centenarians out of the country’s 4,793 senior citizens age 100 years and above, are enjoying their cash benefits because of “too many” documentary requirements they’ve being asked to produce.

“Seniors should no longer be made to suffer from the voluminous requirements. Better yet, the checks for the cash grants should be delivered straight to the place of residence of the recipients,” Atienza said.