Manila Bulletin
Senate bill seeking to create an agency for senior citizens passed on second reading
Senate bill seeking to create an agency for senior citizens passed on second reading
Senate bill seeking to create an agency for senior citizens passed on second reading
Published Jan 25, 2019 02:48 pm
By Vanne Elaine Terrazola
The Senate has passed on second reading a bill that pushes the creation of an agency for senior citizens.
Senator Antonio Trillanes IV ( Jun Ryan Arañas/ MANILA BULLETIN)
Senate Bill No. 2159 is expected to hurdle the Upper Chamber soon after senators approved it on second reading last Tuesday.
The bill seeks to establish the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC), which would be dedicated solely in promoting and protecting the rights and interests of senior citizens.
Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, acting chairman of the Senate Social Justice and Rural Development Committee and sponsor of the measure, said proposed creation of the NCSC would, in effect, abolish the National Coordinating and Monitoring Board created by Republic Act 9994, which is composed of heads of different government agencies. The commission will operate under the Office of the President, he said.
Under the bill, the NCSC would be composed of a chairperson and six commissioners.
The commissioners will represent and/or hold offices in the different regions in the country. An executive director, who will be appointed by the commission, will manage and supervise the commission’s daily operations.
The NCSC, among its functions, would be mandated to ensure the full implementation of laws, policies and programs for the elderly. It shall also formulate policies for the promotion and protection of their rights and well-being; and conduct information and education campaigns to raise awareness on senior citizens’ rights.
Trillanes, stressing the importance of the creation of such agency, said it is but proper for the government to support and provide for the needs of the elderly to give back to their contributions to the country.
“Growing old comes with a variety of challenges, from physical to economic. With situations like these, it is important that we create for senior citizens a supportive and an enabling environment where they are assisted and appreciated,” Trillanes said.
“This representation believes that our senior citizens have broadly contributed to the growth and progress of our nation, and continue to do so when given the right opportunities. It is time for us to give back by protecting their rights and ensuring the proper execution of programs for their well-being,” he added.
Trillanes added that the creation of the commission will also help prepare the government for the country's aging population.
Citing data from the Population Commission, the senator said senior citizens could have comprised eight percent of the country's total population in 2018, or some eight million individuals.
The United Nations Population Fund likewise projected that the senior population in the Philippines is expected to hit 23.63 million by 2050.
SB 2159 is a consolidation of the Senate Bill Nos. 674, 1881 and 2099 filed by Senator Bam Aquino, Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Sen. Sonny Angara, respectively.
Senator Antonio Trillanes IV ( Jun Ryan Arañas/ MANILA BULLETIN)
Senate Bill No. 2159 is expected to hurdle the Upper Chamber soon after senators approved it on second reading last Tuesday.
The bill seeks to establish the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC), which would be dedicated solely in promoting and protecting the rights and interests of senior citizens.
Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, acting chairman of the Senate Social Justice and Rural Development Committee and sponsor of the measure, said proposed creation of the NCSC would, in effect, abolish the National Coordinating and Monitoring Board created by Republic Act 9994, which is composed of heads of different government agencies. The commission will operate under the Office of the President, he said.
Under the bill, the NCSC would be composed of a chairperson and six commissioners.
The commissioners will represent and/or hold offices in the different regions in the country. An executive director, who will be appointed by the commission, will manage and supervise the commission’s daily operations.
The NCSC, among its functions, would be mandated to ensure the full implementation of laws, policies and programs for the elderly. It shall also formulate policies for the promotion and protection of their rights and well-being; and conduct information and education campaigns to raise awareness on senior citizens’ rights.
Trillanes, stressing the importance of the creation of such agency, said it is but proper for the government to support and provide for the needs of the elderly to give back to their contributions to the country.
“Growing old comes with a variety of challenges, from physical to economic. With situations like these, it is important that we create for senior citizens a supportive and an enabling environment where they are assisted and appreciated,” Trillanes said.
“This representation believes that our senior citizens have broadly contributed to the growth and progress of our nation, and continue to do so when given the right opportunities. It is time for us to give back by protecting their rights and ensuring the proper execution of programs for their well-being,” he added.
Trillanes added that the creation of the commission will also help prepare the government for the country's aging population.
Citing data from the Population Commission, the senator said senior citizens could have comprised eight percent of the country's total population in 2018, or some eight million individuals.
The United Nations Population Fund likewise projected that the senior population in the Philippines is expected to hit 23.63 million by 2050.
SB 2159 is a consolidation of the Senate Bill Nos. 674, 1881 and 2099 filed by Senator Bam Aquino, Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Sen. Sonny Angara, respectively.