The House Committee on Senior Citizens chaired by United Senior Citizens Party-list Representative Milagros Aquino-Magsaysay approved the consolidation of several measures expanding employment opportunities for senior citizens.
Approved for consolidation were House Bills (HBs) 7319, 7568, 8940, 9792, 10133, and 10138.
The consolidated bill, when enacted, would amend Republic Act (RA) No. 7432, otherwise known as “Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.”
Aquino-Magsaysay stressed that senior citizens can still make meaningful contributions to society, and should be given the space to do so.
“The objective is to ensure that senior citizens are not merely represented, but that their voices are genuinely heard, meaningfully considered, and effectively reflected in decision-making.”
The veteran legislator pointed out that the objective “is to ensure that senior citizens are not merely represented, but that their voices are genuinely heard, meaningfully considered, and effectively reflected in decision-making, particularly at the community level”.
In this regard, and in line with the Bagong Kongreso initiative of Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III to bring the legislative process closer to the people, Aquino-Magsaysay bared plans for the Committee to conduct a series of public hearings and consultations with senior citizens groups and other stakeholders across the country starting in September.
HB 190 mandates the establishment of a senior citizens day care center in every barangay.
The panel also approved HB 190, authored by the seasoned lawmaker, mandating the establishment of a senior citizens day care center in every barangay.
The center is envisioned as an area where seniors “can sing, dance, and maging busy the whole day with the livelihood or anything na activities para masaya sila the whole day at hindi lang ‘yon, para maproteksyunan sila kaysa nasa bahay sila mag-isa o wala silang ginagawa.”
Also approved was HB 780, authored by Senior Citizens Party-list Representative Ompong Ordanes, which is an act promoting the welfare of senior citizens and PWDs through their inclusion in the eGov PH Super App.
The Committee moreover directed the secretariat to prepare a substitute bill consolidating HBs 2020 and 6765, which provides “regulation, accreditation, and standards for residential care facilities for senior citizens.”
