Bayan Muna Partylist vowed to investigate the exclusion of at least 600,000 indigent seniors from the government’s social pension program once it secures a congressional seat after the 2025 national elections.
Denouncing the failure of the government to provide funds for “waitlisted” senior citizens since 2023, former Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares said the Ferdinand Marcos Jr. administration is violating the Expanded Senior Citizens Law (Republic Act 9994).
“The law is crystal clear – all Filipinos aged 60 and above are considered senior citizens. So they cannot be excluded from benefits mandated by law,” Colmenares said.
Under the law, indigent senior citizens are entitled to a P1,000 monthly pension from the national government through the Department of Social Work and Development (DSWD).
DSWD 2025 budget sponsor Sen. Imee Marcos admitted at the Senate budget deliberations last Tuesday that the agency again has no funds for new senior citizenss next year.
The president’s sister also admitted that about 490,000 senior citizens who were supposed to receive their pension starting 2023 were “waitlisted” due to “lack of funds.”
The number might increase to 800,000 if no funds will be allocated for next year.
Colmenares said the Marcos government must prioritize the elderly in its proposed 2025 national budget, particularly over its proposed P158.7 billion “unprogrammed funds.”
“It is unconscionable that while billions are allocated to programs with dubious benefits, our senior citizens are denied their legally mandated pension,” Colmenares said.
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He called on the DSWD and Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to immediately address the funding gap affecting hundreds of thousands of indigent seniors.
“This is not just about following the law – this is about giving our elderly the dignity and support they deserve. We cannot allow bureaucratic excuses to deny them their rights,” Colmenares concluded said.
Colmenares is Bayan Muna’s first nominee in next year’s national elections. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
