Aspirant wants to increase seniors’ pension to P2,000

CEBU, Philippines - Lapu-Lapu City congressional aspirant Junex Doronio wants increase the monthly pension of senior citizens to P2,000 from the current P500.

He said he will file a bill to this effect if he wins in the 2016 polls.

Doronio, in a statement, said this will be one of his priority legislations alongside those for free medical checkups and medicines. He said elders deserve to be treated with utmost respect and care.

“What can P500 buy nowadays? I think increasing their monthly pension to P2,000 is just fair considering the present high prices of commodities,“ Doronio said.

The P500 is being provided by the Department of Social Welfare and Development to eligible indigent senior citizens.

Doronio lauded DSWD for lowering to 65 from 77 the minimum age of those who can qualify as social pension beneficiaries.

Doronio said he does not object to local government units giving birthday cakes to senior citizens “because they deserve to be really happy in their special day.”

He noted that in Lapu-Lapu City alone, there are about 18,000 registered senior citizens spread in 30 barangays.

Doronio, a news correspondent of the Manila-based The Standard (formerly the Manila Standard Today), is running for congressman for the lone district of Lapu-Lapu City under the Philippine Green Republican Party, a Comelec-accredited national political party.  (FREEMAN)