The Manila Times
SPEAKER Faustino "Bojie" Dy III on Monday showed support for having all senior citizens receive social pension. "I believe that true service starts with listening, understanding, compassion, and love," Dy said in Filipino before senior citizens' groups, lawmakers, and universal senior citizen social pension supporters at the turnover of over a million signatures supporting such a universal social pension. Currently, the social pension program for senior citizens, which provides P1,000 to those qualified, covers only indigent ones. A bill to make social pension universal is pending at the House Committee on Appropriations. Dy said a universal social pension for senior citizens "is not simply about assistance — it is about dignity, gratitude and compassion." "Given the costs of medicine, food and health care, our seniors must be provided support to help them afford all of their basic needs," he said. "Let us always remember: The true measure of a nation is how it cares for its most vulnerable citizens," Dy said. The turnover of the signatures, which were gathered nationwide, was led by United Senior Citizens Rep. Milagros Aquino-Magsaysay, who is the chairman of the House Committee on Senior Citizens. Aquino-Magsaysay said the group hopes to gather more signatures “until our voices are heard and our signatures turn into law." She said she has appealed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to support social pension for all senior citizens. Dy assured her the House “will continue to support the right steps that will ease and improve their lives because this is humane and just."
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