MANILA, Philippines – Indigent senior citizens aged 80 and above will receive a monthly pension of P500 starting next year as part of the Expanded Senior Citizens Act, Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman said yesterday.
Soliman said the funds for the social pension of some 4.3 million poor senior citizens were included in the agency’s proposed 2011 budget amounting to P34.2 billion.
She earlier said that the government is likely to spend roughly P7 billion annually for the social pensions of the indigent elderly.
Republic Act 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act, signed by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last Feb. 16, exempts senior citizens from the value added tax (VAT).
The law grants a 20-percent discount for senior citizens on purchases of food and medicine, as well as other services in restaurants and movie houses.
Senior citizens have only been able to enjoy eight percent of the supposed 20-percent discount because of the 12-percent VAT.
Soliman said they are studying the possibility of implementing the five-percent discount on electric and water bills of selected elderly next month instead of December.
Under the law, senior citizens will also get a five-percent discount on electric and water consumption, provided that the meters for these utilities are registered under their names and usage is below 100 kilowatt-hours for electricity and 30 cubic meters for water. –Helen Flores (The Philippine Star)
September 18 –
International Equal Pay Day
“Increase wages now,
more than other cost items.
For widespread, practical equality!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the recommendations of the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry
against serious violations of protocols of
Forced Labour and Freedom of Association.
Accept the National Unity Government (NUG)
of Myanmar. Reject Military!
#WearMask #WashHands
#Report Corruption #SearchPosts #TakePicturesVideos
October –
Monthly Observances:
Industry and Commerce Safety Month
National Statistics Month
Local Government Month
Consumer Welfare Month
Cooperative Month
National Quality and Productivity Improvement Month
National Health and Wellness Tourism Month
National Indigenous Peoples Month
Weekly Observances:
Week 1: Elderly Filipino Week
Week 2: National Health Education Week
Local Government Week
National Mental Health Week
October 17-23:
National Week for Overcoming Extreme Poverty
October 18 – 24:
United Nations Week
Last Week:
Nurses’ Week
Consumers’ Protection Week
Week of the 4th Sunday:
Barrio Farmers’ Week
Daily Observances:
First Monday (Oct 4): Universal Children’s Day i
n the Philippines
Oct 5: National Teachers’ Day
Oct 10: Local Government Day
Third Thursday (Oct 14): Conflict Resolution Day
Oct 21: Tenants’ Emancipation day
Oct 24: United Nations Day
Oct 29: National Indigenous People’s Thanksgiving Day
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