Lawmaker seeks 1% IRA allotment for seniors, PWDs

MANILA, Philippines — A lawmaker wants local government units (LGUs) to allocate one percent of their internal revenue allotment (IRA) for senior citizens and another one percent for persons with disability (PWDs) in recognition of their roles in developing “a strong nation.”

In filing House Bill 3641, Quezon City Rep. Patrick Manuel Vargas said LGUs must be required to earmark one percent of their IRA for programs and projects benefiting the elderly and PWDs.

“While there are some LGUs already implementing the one percent allocation for seniors and PWDs, many have not yet established this ruling possibly due to limited resources,” the bill stated.

Under the bill, LGUs stand to have an increased share of national tax revenue as mandated by the Mandanas-Garcia ruling of the Supreme Court in 2018.

“So they are now more capable of institutionalizing an increase of allocation for these two sectors,” Vargas said.

Citing data from the World Bank, he said the IRAs are programmed to increase by 55 percent in the 2022 budget, reaching P1.08 trillion or 4.8 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, compared to 3.5 percent of GDP in 2021.

Under the proposed legislation, programs and projects benefiting seniors and PWDs include medical and dental services, fitness and wellness, social services, livelihood and employment, legal assistance and recreation.

“The state will be able to provide financial support for programs to help address the needs of millions of senior citizens and PWDs,” the bill stated.