Uplifting Senior Life through Exclusive Rights and Privileges

Have you imagined what your life would be if you reach the old age?

When we get old we slowly feel immediate tiredness, vulnerability, and also the low capability or
opportunity to work due to old age. Based on the 2019 statistics on the Philippines population of older
people, there were 9,433,000 senior citizens. By 2050, it will increase almost triple times estimating to
be 23,863,000 Filipino senior citizens.

And that is why Senior Citizen if reached 60 and above must secure a senior citizen ID to avail all the
benefits our government is offering.

Rights and Privileges

Before you can get a senior citizen card you must go first to Office of Senior Citizen Affairs (OSCA) and
bring Birth Certificate that certifies that you are already in your 60s, 1x1 colored photo, and any
government Identification card like Comelec ID and PhilHealth ID.

One of the benefits of being a senior citizen is you are grant 20% discount and VAT (value added tax)
exemption that you can use in buying medicines, consultations, hospitalization, food , and
transportation. Those benefits are only for individual consumption only meaning to say, the senior
citizen is the only one that can avail its benefits. And, do not worry seniors if you don’t have with you
your senior citizen’s id because according to OSCA, any documents and IDs issued by the government
that certifies that you are already a senior citizen will do.

Lolas and Lolos are also exempted to pay their income tax return. For example, if seniors are
government employee and a minimum wage earner, the salary that is given to you is tax exempted.
Senior Citizens also have their Express Lane/Special Lanes in establishments along with pregnant women
and PWDs that makes it easier and convenient to shop or move considering their condition. Senior
citizens can file complaints or charges in OSCA against any individual, establishments, business entity,
institution, or agency refusing to comply with the privileges.

“Ganun talaga, tumatanda mabilis na mapagod hindi ko na kaya magtinda ng mga kakanin. Buti na lang
may natatanggap ako na pera… malaking tulong narin kahit papaano para sa mga gastusin ko sa pang
araw-araw.”- Lola Paz, 72 years old. She’s been a beneficiary since 2016, one of the 2.8 million indigent
senior citizens who were able to receive support from the government through social pension system
under the Republic Act 9994.

RA 9994 or Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010 is where indigent senior citizens is given 500 pesos
monthly for their daily and medical needs. Indigent Senior Citizen is those vulnerable and has illness and
handicap, without pension and permanent income. Those with above mention condition are entitled for
the monthly social pension amounting 500 pesos.
Struggle of Poor Senior Citizen

“Yung natatanggap ni tatay na 500 pesos kada buwan idinadagdag ko sa puhunan ko sa pagtinda ng
kakanin para mapalago at makabili pa ng mga kailangan ni tatay sa pang araw-araw. ” Nanay
Tes,daughter of Lolo Alan 85 years old.

Based on report, social pension of Lolo Alan along with other senior citizens spent their money to
support their household expenses; 40% goes to food, 30% goes to medical needs, and the remaining
30% goes to bills, debts, and payments.

Unfortunately, pension of senior citizen is not given to anyone because before you receive a pension,
you first need to apply; there are staffs from Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)
who will assess if you are truly eligible for the government assistance. Along with that are the limited
slots which make it more difficult to become a beneficiary.

In fact, there is a study conducted by Coalition of Services to the Elderly Inc. (COSE) that 3 million senior
citizens are left relying on their own and to their families that really need financial assistance while
those who are not that needy for assistance has pensions already.

Providing Stronger Foundation

Considering the discrepancy in the social pension system, this leads for our legislators to propose a bill
that covers all seniors from our country and will have the opportunity to have money monthly given by
the government. This proposed bill is called The Universal Social Pension ( Lingap para kay Lolo at Lola)
this is a tax-finance scheme that guarantees a minimum pension to all senior citizens The bill is said to
help close the pension coverage gap allowing a better foundation for the pension system, primarily
supplementing stronger support to Lolo Alan and to all our indigent senior citizens.

The bill will provide assistance to all senior citizens aged 65 years and older. Senior citizens who are aged
60 to 64 and are classified as indigent will also receive monthly pension but instead of 500 it will become
1000 inorder for them to better cope up with their daily expenses. Universal Pension for Senior Citizens
will not only provide income security and uplift poor condition of families. It would also foster growth
across all society and lifts around 2 or 3 million Filipinos out of poverty and will have a huge impact to
our economy strongly supporting the Sustainable Development Goal 1 (SDG1) which is “No Poverty in All
forms of society”.