Senator Loren Legarda has filed Senate Bill No. 164 seeking to grant eligible senior citizens P1,000 monthly for maintenance medicines.
Legarda said the measure aims to ease the burden of seniors managing chronic illnesses and ensure access to affordable healthcare. She noted that current medicine discounts are often not enough.
Under the proposal, beneficiaries will receive a non-transferable support card, valid for use with prescriptions issued within the last six months. Fraud and abuse will be penalized under existing laws.
Legarda, author of the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010, called the stipend “a small token of recognition” for those who have worked hard for the nation, reaffirming the State’s duty to care for the elderly.IMT
