A YouTube video claims that a P5,000 universal social pension for senior citizens has been approved and due for release soon. This is false.
The 11-minute, 27-second video continues to gain traction weeks after it was uploaded on April 30 with this title:
“APRUBADO NA! ₱5,000 UNIVERSAL SOCIAL PENSION PARA SA SENIORS – SCHEDULE NG PAGLABAS, TINGNAN NA!”
(IT’S BEEN APPROVED! P5,000 UNIVERSAL SOCIAL PENSION FOR SENIORS – SCHEDULE OF RELEASE, TAKE A LOOK!)
The description box of the erroneous clip shows a different amount. It says:
“ISANG NAPAKAGANDANG BALITA para sa ating mga senior citizens! CONFIRMED na ang ₱7,000 SOCIAL PENSION na inilaan para sa mga kwalipikadong lolo at lola sa ilalim ng bagong programang inilunsad ngayong 2025!”
(PLEASANT NEWS for all our senior citizens! It’s CONFIRMED that the P7,000 SOCIAL PENSION set aside for qualified grandpa and grandma under the new program will be launched this 2025!)
The National Commission for Senior Citizens (NCSC) has debunked the claim in a Facebook post, labeling the video as “fake news.”
Although the House of Representatives has approved House Bill (HB) No. 10423 — known as the Universal Social Pension Bill for Senior Citizens, it still has to go through the Senate for parallel action.
The House approved the bill on the third and final reading on May 21, 2024. However, it remains pending at the committee level in the Senate, according to the chamber’s official website.
After the Senate approves it, the two legislative chambers will harmonize differing provisions in their respective versions of the measure before an enrolled copy of the bill can be forwarded to the Malacanang for the president to sign it into law. Once signed into law, the concerned government agencies will come out with guidelines to implement it.
The current Congress ends on June 13 and bills not approved by then can be refiled starting June 30, when the 20th Congress begins its term.
Earlier this year, progressive groups and senior citizens urged the Senate to pass the bill, which aims to extend financial assistance to all elderly Filipinos.
At present, the Department of Social Welfare and Development grants social pensions only to indigent senior citizens.
The inaccurate video, posted by the YouTube channel Ph Pension News, has garnered a total of 122,135 views, 1,378 comments, and 3,700 likes as of writing. Some users misled by its content continue to inquire about the details of the spurious financial grant.
