25/07/2015
House expands definition of indigent senior citizen
By Jess Diaz (The Philippine Star) | Updated June 8, 2015 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a measure expanding the definition of an indigent senior citizen.
House Bill 5752, principally authored by Quezon Rep. Angelina Tan, seeks to amend Republic Act 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.
Tan said the measure would “provide a more inclusive definition of ‘indigent senior citizen’.”
Under the bill, an indigent senior citizen would be defined as “any elderly who is without pension or permanent source of income, compensation, or regular and appropriate financial assistance from his/her relatives to support his/her basic needs, as determined by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in consultation with the National Coordinating and Monitoring Board.”
The proposed measure removes the physical requirements of being frail, sick or disabled and provides that financial assistance by a senior citizen’s relatives should be adequate and regular, said Tan, a rural doctor.
“Hence, more senior citizens will feel more secure during the remaining years of their lives because of the guarantee that they will have the ready access to financial assistance and health services,” she added.
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The present definition under RA 9994 excludes senior citizens who are not sick or disabled and who have pension or other sources of income but who are nonetheless in dire need of government assistance in the face of the high cost of basic commodities and medical services, Tan said.
She said RA 9994 provides an array of benefits, privileges and assistance to senior citizens such as a 20-percent discount and exemption from value-added tax (VAT), if applicable, on the sale of some goods and services, death benefit assistance, educational assistance, free medical and dental services, and exemption from training fees for socioeconomic programs, among others.
The law grants indigent senior citizens additional privileges such as free vaccines, social pension and mandatory PhilHealth coverage, she said.
Other authors of the bill include Reps. Rodel Batocabe of party-list Ako Bicol and Arthur Yap of Bohol.
The committee on population and family relations endorsed the measure for plenary approval.
Meanwhile, Valenzuela City Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian has filed a bill seeking to protect senior citizens from abuse.
“Any person who commits acts of abuse, neglect and exploitation of the elderly should be punished with the penalty under the Revised Penal Code in the maximum period, and the status of the offended party being a senior citizen should be considered an aggravating circumstance of the offense,” Gatchalian said.
The acts he wants to be punished with heavier penalties include verbal abuse, intimidation, harassment, public humiliation and ridicule.
The bill also penalizes any person who, having the legal responsibility or contractual obligation to care for an elderly, willfully neglects to provide food, medicines, shelter, clothing or services necessary for the physical and mental health of an elderly.
Likewise, control over the money, assets or property of the elderly through undue influence or deceitful machinations with the intention of depriving the elderly of his ownership, use and benefit constitutes elderly abuse under the measure.
“Each year, more and more elderly people are abused, exploited and neglected. The usual victims are seniors who are older, frail, vulnerable and unable to help themselves and depend on others to meet their most basic needs,” Gatchalian said.
