toseniorcitizensdiscolmb
By Jester P.
Manalastas
SPEAKER Gloria
Macapagal-ArroYo ex-
pressed gratitude to the
Senate for adopting the
House version of the bill
creating the National
Commiision of Senior
CitizenB.
The bill seeks to
strengihen the rights of
senioi citizens in the coun-
trv.
' Speaker ArtoYo was
on" bf th" princi]:al au-
ihors of the measure'
The orooosed law was
aourovid ohthid reading
tr'v'the Lower House last
linuarv29,2019 with 175
approval and no objection
and abstention.
"lViththisbill,therewill
be one agency, the NCSC,
which will be responsible
for the formulation and
implemqrtation of
Policies,
plars and proglams tor
our senior citizens," she
said.
"I would like to com-
mendourcongressmenfor
actively pushing for it. I
of20percent on goods and
ARROYO
am glad that the Senate
has adooted our rneasure.
This willl ensure better de-
liverv of serdces to all oul
senior citizens," ArroYo
added.
during her presidencY
that two of the pioneering
laws on the rights of senior
citizen s were Passed - the
ExDanded Senior Ci tizens
Aci of 2oo3 (RA 9257) and
the ExDarded Senior Citi-
zens hct of 2010 (RA
9994). Both laws $anted
services, socialpension to
indigent eldedY, manda-
torv-PhilHealth covera ge,
de;th benefit assistance,
exoress lanes, education-
al'privileges, tax deduc-
tions, among othe6.
Under the proPosed
law, all matters Pertaining
to senio! citizens shall be
undertheNCSCwhichwill
ellsr.ue the effective imPle-
mentation of various Pro-
grams and services for se-
Xior citizens and establish
community-based health
and reiabilitation, ed uca-
tional and socioeconomid
orograms for the elderlv
' the NCSC will replaie
the National Coordinat-
ing and Monitoring Board
created under the Expar1d-
ed Senior Citizens Act of
20i0.It will be composed
of a Chairperson and six
Comnissioners acting as
a co[egial body. The six
Commissioners shall reP-
resent dif f erent geograPh-
ical regions of dre PhiIiP-
oines Jnd shallhold ofiice
in tJreir respective tegiors
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