Issuu

Senate o! the

NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES First Regular Session

) ) )

SENATE

S. No. 1799

23 JAN 30 Pl:l7 RECElvr.D BY.

Introduced by SENATOR FRANCIS "TOL" N. TOLENTINO

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR A COMPREHENSIVE AND STRENGTHENED NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR SENIOR CITIZENS AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9994, AS AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "EXPANDED SENIOR CITIZENS ACT OF 2010"

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Section 15, Article II of the 1987 Constitution states that "The State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them." Section 11 of Article XIII further provides that "the State shall adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development. Acknowledging the physical disadvantages of the underprivileged elderly, including the underprivileged sick, disabled, women, and children, their needs for health development is said to be a priority." According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing, senior citizens or people aged sixty (60) years old and over make up 8.5% (9.22 million) of the Filipino household population for that year. According to the Commission on Population and Development, citing recent data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, the percentage of Filipino elderly is rising throughout the years.1

1 Dona Z. Pazzibugan, ‘Opportunity’: PH senior population on the rise, available at: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1646487/opportunity-ph-senior-population-on-the-rise (last accessed on 23 January 2023) (2022).

While the government has already increased the financial benefits and privileges of our senior citizens through the expanded senior citizens act of 2010 and the act increasing the social pension of indigent senior citizens, it cannot be denied that the majority of these financial benefits are just consumed by our senior citizens for the purchase of maintenance medicines. Ageing is a biological phenomenon that is marked by 'temporal continuity, heterogeneity on cellular, somatic, and molecular level, and the ability of being modulated.'2 The process of aging follows numerous changes in the body, which results in an overall decline in the health of an individual. At this point in time, nutrition plays a very crucial role and requires special attention as Filipinos reach old age.3 Good nutrition is very essential in all age groups, most especially in the elderly. It provides the energy and nutrients that would help prevent or manage certain lifestyle diseases. Unfortunately, our government has somehow been remiss in providing this comprehensive nutritional support to our elderly. As such, this measure, providing a comprehensive nutrition program for senior citizens and strengthening our current Philippine nutritional framework, is hereby introduced in the fervent hope of ensuring the State's constitutional mandate to prioritize the health of an otherwise increasing elderly population in the country. It is for this purpose that the urgent passage of this measure is sought.

N. TOLENTINO

2 Grass! M., Petraccia L„ Mennuni G., Stephen D.W., Prashanthi V., Val J.L., et. al., Changes, functional disorders, and diseases in the gastrointestinal tract of elderly, pp. 559-567 (2011). 3 Damanpreet Kaur, et. al.. Nutritional Interventions for Elderly and Considerations for the Development of Geriatric Foods, available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6971894/ (last accessed on 23 January 2023) (2019).

NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES First Regular Session

of tl):

) ) )

SENATE

S. No. 1799

'vetai^p

23 JAN 30 PI :17 RfCEiVEDB,.

Introduced by SENATOR FRANCIS "TOL" N. TOLENTINO

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled: 1 2

Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Comprehensive Senior Citizen Welfare Act".

Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the declared policy of the State to

protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness

among them.1 To further this policy, our highest law of the land also provides that the

state shall adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development,

giving priority to the needs of the underprivileged sick, elderly, disabled, women, and

children.2

9 10

Sec. 3. Section 5 (c) of Republic Act No. 9994, as amended, is hereby further amended to read as follows:

1 1987 Constitution, Article II, Section 15. 2 1987 Constitution, Article XIII, Section 11.

1 2

"Section 5. Government Assistance. - The government shall provide the following:

(a) XXX

(b) xxx

"The DOH, in coordination with local government units (LGUs), NGOs

and POs for senior citizens, shall institute a national health program and

shall provide an integrated health service for senior citizens. It shall

train community-based health workers among senior citizens and health

personnel to specialize in the geriatric care and health problems of senior

citizens.

REALIZING THE CONTRIBUTION OF PROPER NUTRITION IN

THE OVERALL HEALTH OF A PERSON ESPECIALLY OF THE

ELDERLY, THE NATIONAL NUTRITION COUNCIL (NCC), IN

COORDINATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (DOH)

AND

MANDATED TO PREPARE A COMPREHENSIVE NUTRITION AND

WELLNESS PROGRAM FOR SENIOR CITIZENS WHICH SHALL BE

DISSEMINATED

MUNICIPALITY FOR THE AWARENESS OF EVERY SENIOR

CITIZEN.

LGUS, THROUGH THEIR LOCAL HEALTH PERSONNEL, SHALL

CONDUCT REGULAR VISITATION TO EVERY SENIOR CITIZEN

WITHIN THEIR JURISDICTION TO ENSURE THAT THEIR

SENIOR CITIZEN CONSTITUENTS ARE ABLE TO CONSUME A

HEALTHY DIET IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE

NUTRITION AND WELLNESS PROGRAM AND APPROPRIATE TO

THEIR HEALTH CONDITION.

LOCAL

GOVERNMENT

AND

UNITS

MADE

(LGUs),

AVAILABLE

HEREBY

EVERY

LGUS, THROUGH THEIR OFFICE

FOR SENIOR CITIZENS

AFFAIRS' OFFICE (OSCA), SHALL ACTIVELY INTEGRATE THE

COMPREHENSIVE NUTRITION AND WELLNESS PROGRAM IN

THEIR RESPECTIVE AREAS. A MONTHLY REPORT ON THE

STATUS OF THE PROGRAM SHALL BE PREPARED BY THE OSCA

TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH."

Sec. 4. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within six (6) months from

the effectivity of this Act, the Department of Interior and Local Government, in

coordination and consultation with the National Nutrition Council, the Department of

Health, and other agencies concerned, shall promulgate such rules or guidelines as

may be necessary for the proper implementation of this Act.

Sec. 5. Appropriations. - The necessary appropriations for the conduct of

regular visitation by LGUs shall be appropriated and approved by the LGUs concerned.

For national government agencies, the requirements to implement the provisions of

this Act shall be included in their respective budgets.

Sec. 6. Separabiiity Ciause. - If any provision of this Act shall be held

unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions not otherwise affected shall remain in

full force and effect.

Sec. 7.

Repealing Ciause. - All

laws, decrees, executive orders,

proclamations, and other executive issuances which are inconsistent with or contrary

to the provisions of this Act are hereby amended or repealed accordingly.

Sec. 8. Effectivity Ciause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days

following its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

24 25 26 27 28 29

Approved,