Chiz backs efforts for more benefits for senior citizens

CEBU, Philippines - Opposition Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero yesterday said he is supporting efforts to provide senior citizens with more benefits on top of what they are already receiving under the law.

Escudero, the keynote speaker in yesterday’s Senior Citizens Congress sponsored by the city government, said he is in favor of granting senior citizens more benefits in whatever forms, as long as they will not be contrary to public policy.

He said he will seriously look into legislative proposals made by different senior citizens groups, including institutionalizing the one percent allocation from the national and the local government unit’s annual budget for senior citizens, membership in local legislative councils, and free medical services/hospitalization in government hospitals, among others.

Escudero, a member of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, also lauded the move of Mayor Tomas Osmeña in granting senior citizens in the city P4,000 as birthday and Christmas gifts. The P5,000 burial assistance from the city was also raised to P10,000.

Escudero said there is sufficient basis to augment the current privileges that senior citizens are enjoying in order to provide them with a better and more comfortable way of living.

Yesterday’s Senior Citizens Congress was held in line with the celebration of Senior Citizens Month, in coordination with the Federation of Senior Citizens Associations of the Philippines, Inc., Department of Social Welfare and Services and the Cebu City Senior Citizens Council.

The congress was attended by over 2,000 senior citizens from the city’s 80 barangays. — Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/JMO