TACLOBAN CITY — Lawmakers are pushing to institutionalize a pension and insurance program for elderly, disabled and indigent farmers who are not covered by existing retirement systems, citing the growing vulnerability of aging agricultural workers.
Tingog party-list Rep. Jude Acidre, chair of the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education and principal author of House Bill No. 7663, said the measure aims to provide regular government support to farmers who are not members of the Social Security System (SSS) or the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).
Filed by Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, the bill proposes a P3,000 monthly pension for qualified beneficiaries, along with a P50,000 life insurance coverage and accident or disability assistance of up to P25,000 per claim.
Under the proposal, beneficiaries must be at least 60 years old, not receiving any pension from SSS, GSIS or private retirement systems, and classified as elderly, disabled or indigent farmers.
Acidre said the measure seeks to address the long-standing gap in social protection for farmers, many of whom continue working past retirement age due to unstable incomes and lack of savings.
“This is about building a stable social protection system for those who have spent their lives ensuring the country’s food security,” he said.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
