Regular monthly supply of meds for seniors pushed

MANILA, Philippines — A Mindanao lawmaker wants the government to regularly provide people aged 60 and above with P1,000 worth of maintenance medicine, food supplements and vitamins.

In his House Bill No. 10230 or the proposed “Monthly Maintenance Support for Senior Citizens Act,” Agusan del Norte Rep. Dale Corvera said that while 9.2 million senior citizens were entitled to several benefits and privileges in the purchase of essential goods, “the grant of discounts is largely dependent on [their] disposable income or capacity to buy.”

READ: Senior citizens’ discount: Stirring debate over what’s right, wrong

For those with no extra money, the discount benefits become illusory, he added.

“It is a known fact that senior citizens, because of advanced age, often suffer from several health conditions which require the regular intake of maintenance medicines,” Corvera said.

Providing them with the medication they need would prevent a manageable illness from becoming a serious threat, he stressed. —JEANNETTE I. ANDRADE