SENATOR Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go called for immediate action to address the significant number of indigent senior citizens still on the waitlist for the social pension program.
Go began his remarks during the Senate finance committee deliberations on the budget of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Monday, Sept. 16.
“For next year, the budget for the social pension for indigent senior citizens is P49.8 billion. This reflects the increase in the monthly pension from P500 to P1,000 as mandated by Republic Act No. 11916, which I co-authored and co-sponsored in the Senate,” Go said.
Speaking to DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian and other officials, Go highlighted the importance of the pension, especially for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who often inquire about their entitlements upon returning to the Philippines.
He shared a common concern voiced by elderly OFWs: “Secretary Rex, when we talk to elderly OFWs abroad, their first question is whether they have a pension waiting for them in the Philippines. Will they receive any?”
While acknowledging the increase in funding, Go expressed concern about the significant number of senior citizens who may be eligible for the pension but remain on the waitlist.
According to Go, approximately 466,000 indigent senior citizens are currently on the waitlist, with the number expected to rise to 600,000.
Go also mentioned the P5.8 billion allotted in unprogrammed appropriations, specifically intended to address the backlog of senior citizens waiting for their pensions. “What is the status of this unprogrammed appropriation of P5.8 billion? Has it been funded yet?” he asked.
In a related point, Go noted that there are excess funds in PhilHealth worth P89.9 billion, which the executive plans to transfer to the National Treasury.
He inquired if these funds could be used to help cover the unprogrammed budget for senior citizens’ pensions.
“Since you are aware that the PHP 89.9 billion from PhilHealth, which was supposed to be for health, is being transferred to the National Treasury due to excess funds, can this be used instead? It would make a significant difference for these senior citizens,” Go said.
Director Sofia Abad of the Department of Budget and Management affirmed the suggestion.
Go further pressed on the DSWD’s efforts to ensure that the 600,000 senior citizens on the waitlist would be prioritized for the social pension program.
“Can we prioritize this using the unprogrammed funds? If you receive extra funds or collections from the national government, can senior citizens be given priority to reduce the waitlist?” he asked.
In response, Abad confirmed that the provision for waitlisted senior citizens is included in the unprogrammed appropriations but its implementation is subject to the availability of excess revenue collections.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian confirmed that the department had made a formal request to the DBM to fund the additional senior citizens on the waitlist.
However, he clarified that the department does not control the release of unprogrammed funds.
“We agree with the senator and have already requested DBM. We will continue to follow up to ensure they are prioritized. We’ve already made the request,” Gatchalian assured.
He further explained that if the department is granted a portion of the unprogrammed funds, they would be able to cover 490,000 senior citizens, the number currently provided for under the year’s allocation.
However, he acknowledged that the remaining 600,000 seniors would still need additional funding.
Go reminded the officials of the urgency of addressing the financial well-being of senior citizens. “Please prioritize our senior citizens with the unprogrammed funds. Since you are looking for funds and have taken funds from PhilHealth, prioritize this,” he urged.
“This is crucial. Every peso and centavo matters to our senior citizens. It’s like having a horse that’s already dead; it’s useless to have more grass,” he added.
