Photos courtesy from Office of Rep. PM Vargas
AS the country celebrates National Senior Citizens’ Week, Quezon City District V Representative PM Vargas reaffirms his commitment to championing the welfare of elderly Filipinos through the recently filed House Bill 5395, entitled “Widowed Persons Assistance Act”.
The proposed measure seeks to provide temporary financial assistance, psychosocial counseling, livelihood support, and priority access to social services for indigent widowed Filipinos- many of whom are senior citizens struggling to rebuild their lives after the loss of their spouses.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, widowed persons make up 4.5 % of the total household population, with women comprising about 76% of this vulnerable group.
“Ang mga nabalo ay isang espesyal na sektor ng ating mga senior citizen na kailangang kilalanin at alagaan”, explains
Deputy Majority Leader Vargas. “Hindi natin sila hahayaang magluksa nang mag-isa, bagkus ay ihahanda natin sila sa hamon ng pagkawala ng kanilang katuwang sa buhay.”
Vargas noted that while the bill covers all widowed persons regardless of age, its provisions are expected to benefit the elderly the most, given their limited capacity to seek new employment and livelihood opportunities. “Layunin nating matulungan lalo na ang mga nakatatandang balo at mabigyan sila pagkakataong muling makabangon”, he adds.
The legislator emphasized that the measure complements existing laws such as the Expanded Senior Citizens Act and the Universal Health Care Act by ensuring that the specific needs of widowed persons are not overlooked.
“Ang panukalang ito, kung maisasabatas natin, ay hindi lamang magbibigay ng bagong pag-asa sa ating mga senior citizen” says Vargas. “Ito rin ay paraan ng ating gobyerno upang iparating na nakikita natin sila, pinahahalagahan natin sila, at mananatili tayong kasama nila sa kanilang mga huling taon.”
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