House suspends session before Christmas break after historic 2026 national budget approval – Photo from House of Representatives/Facebook
Lawmakers in the House of Representatives are leaning towards the institutionalization of the proposed Universal Social Pension for senior citizens following the expressed support to the proposal by House Speaker Faustino ‘Bojie’ Dy III.
On Monday, May 25, Dy declared he is backing the growing push for the approval of House Bill 10423 that aims to amend the current Expanded Senior Citizen Act, saying that the government has a moral obligation to protect elderly Filipinos who spent their lives sacrificing for their families and the nation.
Speaking at the turnover of the initial batch of signatures for the Twelve Million Signatures for the Elderly campaign, the House leader from Isabela cited that millions of Filipinos have been calling for stronger support for senior citizens struggling with rising medicine, health care and living costs.
“I believe that true service begins with listening, understanding, compassion and love,” he stressed before several senior citizens’ groups, colleagues and supporters of the pension measure.
“We should not see our elderly merely as statistics, but as parents, grandparents, and Filipinos who spent their entire lives sacrificing for their families and our nation,” he added.
To date, government financial assistance for senior citizens is limited to indigent elderly Filipinos under the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens program, which provides P1,000 monthly to qualified beneficiaries.
Unfortunately, the program only covers senior citizens who have no actual income while those who have pensions or are already receiving cash assistance are excluded from receiving the monthly stipend.
With this in consideration, Dy pointed out that the proposed Universal Social Pension is more than a financial assistance program and should be seen as a recognition of the dignity and contributions of senior citizens.
“That is why the Universal Social Pension is not simply about assistance—it is about dignity, gratitude,m and compassion,” the Speaker noted.
“Given the costs of medicine, food, and health care, our seniors must be provided support to help them afford their basic needs.”
Dy likewise underscored what he described as the moral responsibility of government and society to care for vulnerable Filipinos, particularly the elderly.
“Let us always remember (that) the true measure of a nation is how it cares for its most vulnerable citizens,” he asserted.
In the meantime, United Senior Citizens party-list representative Milagros ‘Mila’ Aquino-Magsaysay thanked the House Speaker for declaring his support for the universal pension proposal as she marked the formal turnover of millions of signatures gathered nationwide.
Aquino-Magsaysay, chairperson of the House Committee on Senior Citizens, urged Congress to strengthen social protection and financial security for senior citizens.
In reaction, Dy described the signature campaign as a reflection of growing public clamor for stronger government action to improve the lives of elderly Filipinos.
“We salute everyone who took part in the ‘Twelve Million Signatures for the Elderly’. Your support is proof that many Filipinos believe it is time to further strengthen care for our senior citizens,” he highlighted.
“You have shown that genuine compassion, when accompanied by real action, can move a nation to do what is right for those who have spent their lives caring for others.”
Dy assured senior citizens that the House would continue supporting measures aimed at easing their burdens and improving their quality of life: “You can expect that we will continue to support the right measures that will ease and improve their lives because this is humane and just.
“This is also our way of somehow expressing our gratitude to our senior citizens for their contributions to every Filipino family and to our country.”