Ordanes Backs Higher Pensions, Pushes Universal Social Security and Disaster Protection for Seniors
Ordanes backs higher pensions and universal social security for seniors, while urging LGUs to strengthen disaster plans for elderly Filipinos.
Senior Citizens Party-list Rep. Rodolfo “Ompong” Ordanes has reaffirmed his full support for increasing pensions for elderly Filipinos and accelerating efforts toward universal social security coverage, saying the country must build a stronger and more inclusive safety net for its growing senior citizen population.
Speaking at the 3rd Gawad Parangal for the Elderly Filipinos, Ordanes said adequate financial support for senior citizens should remain a national priority, particularly as many elderly Filipinos continue to face rising expenses for food, medicine, healthcare, transportation and other daily necessities.
Ordanes has been pushing for the establishment of a Universal Social Pension that would extend government pension assistance beyond the present system covering qualified indigent senior citizens.
Under the existing Social Pension Program for Indigent Senior Citizens, qualified beneficiaries receive ₱1,000 per month to help cover daily subsistence and medical needs. More than 4.1 million indigent senior citizens received the pension in 2025, while the program was allocated ₱51.8 billion for 2026.
Ordanes, however, has maintained that financial difficulties among elderly Filipinos are not limited to those classified as indigent. Many seniors who fall outside the present eligibility criteria still struggle with medicines, healthcare costs and everyday living expenses.
He is the principal author of House Bill No. 427, or the proposed Universal Social Pension measure, which seeks to grant social pension coverage to senior citizens regardless of economic status.
The lawmaker has also advocated a sustainable and properly funded implementation roadmap for universal pension coverage, including the possibility of phased implementation if immediate nationwide coverage cannot be financed at once.
Ordanes said expanding pension coverage should be viewed not simply as financial assistance but as part of a broader national commitment to provide Filipino senior citizens with dignity, security and protection during their later years.
LGUs urged to strengthen disaster plans for seniors
Beyond pension and social protection, Ordanes called on local government units (LGUs) to review and update their disaster risk reduction and management plans to specifically address the needs of senior citizens.
He stressed that elderly residents may require special assistance during typhoons, floods, earthquakes and other emergencies because of mobility limitations, existing medical conditions, maintenance medicines and difficulties in reaching evacuation centers.
Ordanes urged LGUs to ensure that local emergency protocols take into account the medical, mobility and transportation requirements of senior citizens, including those who may need assistance during evacuation.
He said preparedness should include identifying vulnerable elderly residents before disasters occur and establishing mechanisms that can provide them with timely transportation, medicines, medical attention and appropriate evacuation assistance.
Existing senior citizen laws already recognize the need for social safety assistance during disasters and calamities, including food, medicines and financial assistance, with support sourced from LGU disaster and calamity funds.
For Ordanes, however, protecting elderly Filipinos requires government policies that address both their everyday needs and their vulnerabilities during emergencies.
The Senior Citizens Party-list lawmaker said the push for higher pensions, universal social security coverage, accessible healthcare and senior-responsive disaster preparedness should form part of a comprehensive national policy that allows Filipinos to age with dignity and security.
As the country’s elderly population continues to grow, Ordanes emphasized that strengthening the social protection system today is an investment not only in present-day senior citizens but also in the future of every Filipino who will eventually reach old age.
