Las Piñas Lone District Rep. Mark Anthony Santos has called for vigilance among social media users, noting that his proposal for a universal social pension has not been acted upon as of now.
Santos, in a statement on Monday, said that there were misleading posts and links over the internet after he pushed for the approval of House Bill (HB) No. 1296 or the proposed Universal Social Pension Act – with some claiming that the pension would be implemented this coming Christmas.
‘Many are being misled because of the fake news especially now that Christmas is coming, we need to straighten this out,’ said Santos, author of HB No. 1296, said.
‘The universal social pension program is not yet implemented. We owe our senior citizens accurate information,’ he added.
According to Santos, there are scammers who are already exploiting senior citizens by manipulating them into believing that they will be getting pension for the upcoming holiday season.
‘Scammers are exploiting our senior citizens’ trust. We need to stop the spread of deceptive content and protect our elders from manipulation,’ Santos added.
‘Our seniors deserve clarity, protection, and support-not confusion and false promises,’ he said. ‘I remain committed to pushing this measure forward until every Filipino senior citizen receives the pension they rightfully deserve.’
Santos clarified that the approved bill on the same topic is House Bill No. 10423, which hurdled third reading at the House of Representatives last May 2024. However, this measure was not approved in the Senate, and therefore was not forwarded to the President’s desk for his action.
The lawmaker noted that both the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) have issued advisories noting that the said proposal is not under implementation. Similarly, Santos echoed warnings from the Department of the Interior and Local Government, as there are fake websites that have used NCSC logos.
Over the weekend, Santos called for the approval of his bill which seeks to provide a universal social pension for all Filipino senior citizens regardless of their economic status.
Under the proposal, which seeks to amend the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010, all senior citizens and not just indigents would receive a monthly cash aid ranging from P500 to P1,000.
According to Santos, there is a need to support seniors since the Philippine Statistics Authority data showed that 22 percent of the P779 billion health expenditures in the country, or P171 billion, were allocated for senior citizens who are ‘more prone to illness, medical needs, and higher living costs, increasing their vulnerability to poverty.’