MANILA — In honor of their contribution to the development of the nation, senators filed bills aiming to protect senior citizens from abuse and neglect.
Sen. Sonny Angara filed Senate Bill 639, an act defining and prohibiting senior citizen abuse, while Sen. Lito Lapid filed SB 1201, to be known as the Homes for Abandoned Seniors Act.
“A rise in the incidents of senior citizen abuse has been seen as of late…As the number of senior citizens increases, it is also expected that the incidence of abuse will also increase. This bill seeks to provide proper and adequate protection for the welfare of our senior citizens. It aims to strengthen and reinforce the fact that senior citizen abuse is not a private matter but a public and serious one which should be the concern of the entire society,” Angara said.
According to Angara, who cited the Philippine Statistics Authority, there were 12.3 million Filipinos aged 60 years old and above as of May 2020, while the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs anticipated that by 2032, the country’s population would be aging, with people 65 years and older expected to make up more than seven percent of all Filipinos.
“By clearly defining what constitutes senior citizen abuse and providing well-defined penalties therefor, this bill hopes to deter the abusers from committing any form of abuse against our senior citizens,” Angara said.
“This bill also aims to provide institutional support to victims of senior citizen abuse with the hope that a more participative involvement of the society will afford our senior citizens more protection,” he noted.
He stated that respect for elders has been one of the hallmarks of Philippine culture and society.
Lapid has filed a bill seeking to institutionalize the establishment of nursing homes for neglected and abandoned elderly in every city and municipality.
Lapid acknowledged senior citizens’ enormous contributions to the country’s growth and progress. He stated that the proposed legislation would provide institutionalized residential care programs and services, including but not limited to comfortable living quarters, adequate food and clothing, and medical consultation or treatment for qualified beneficiaries who are unable to care for themselves.
