First District Rep. Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. wants all Filipino senior citizens to receive a universal social pension amounting to ₱2,000 per month – regardless of their income, civil status, health condition, or residency – through House Bill No. 5068, filed by Lazatin on October 2, 2025.
HB 5068, to be known as the ‘Universal Social Pension for Senior Citizens Act’ if passed, shall be implemented through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), in coordination with the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC).
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Land Bank of the Philippines shall also be tapped for the establishment of a database of beneficiaries and the payout mechanisms, respectively.
The amount of social pension shall be automatically adjusted based on the Consumer Price Index, to be determined by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
Lazatin has always championed the welfare of the elderly in his policies and agenda.
On July 29, 2025, Lazatin filed HB 2422, “An Act Establishing The Bale Pusu Home For The Elderly In All Cities And Municipalities.”
Through HB 2422, at least one ‘Bale Pusu’ home for the elderly shall be established in all cities and municipalities in the country, prioritizing elderly citizens who have been abandoned, left on the streets, or have no families or kin to take care of them.
The proposed elderly home is patterned after the Bale Pusu Home for Abandoned Female Elderly first established in Sta. Teresita, Angeles City on September 15, 2021, during Lazatin’s term as City Mayor.
As Angeles City Mayor, Lazatin implemented pro-elderly programs and initiatives, which includes the provision of free vitamins, medicines, and vaccination for senior citizens, delivered right at their doorstep.
Now as District Representative, Lazatin also frequents various barangays of the First District to visit bedridden senior citizens.
Since assuming office on July 1, 2025, Lazatin has been visiting bed-ridden elderly, aged 90 to 99 years old, in Mabalacat City and Magalang Municipality to personally deliver P2,000 financial assistance, Vitamin C supplements, five kilos of rice, and free medical check-ups, funded out of his own pocket.
