One of the commandments in the Bible with a clear promise to its adherents is the 5th Commandment: “Honor your father and your mother so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you” (Exodus 2:12).
It is unconscionable and pathetic to hear the pleadings of the elderlies led by the Philippine Association of Retired Professionals Inc. (PARP) falling on deaf ears of Congress. A bill in the 18th Congress, which sought to amend the Centenarian Law that grants P100,000 emolument upon reaching that ripe old age, to consider giving partial benefit upon reaching 90, was bypassed. Now that bill is being resurfaced in the 19th Congress, hoping for a more sympathetic response.
By estimate, there are only 600 Filipinos today who are centenarians. That costs the government only P60 million a year. If 50 percent equivalent is given say at age 90, and then increased proportionately till age 100, the inflation for the next 10 years would have left almost nothing of real purchase value. Reaching 90 is a difficult hurdle, a blessing few of us can ever dream of achieving. Think too that we should be chastened with the World Bank’s estimate that 20 percent of government budget each year, or roughly P800 billion yearly, was lost to corruption in 2018 and 2019. A deputy ombudsman had taken note of that UNDP report.
The cost of getting sick if our elderlies do not help take care of themselves will outweigh the cost of the early concession on their emoluments if the amendments to the law are given special consideration by this Congress. We hope congress will not disappoint the lolos and lolas who just want to have some wherewithal to have more zest for living into their sunset, honored and not forgotten as the good Lord commands. – Marvel K. Tan, marvelktan@yahoo.com