The Philippines is moving toward stronger support for its elderly population as lawmakers push for more accessible and specialized long-term care. Senator Bong Go has filed Senate Bill 1779, known as the Nursing Home for Senior Citizens Act, which proposes establishing dedicated facilities in every region to address the growing medical and daily care needs of senior citizens, including long-term treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative services.
Expanding Access to Long-Term Elderly Care
Filed by Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, Senate Bill No. 1779, also known as the Nursing Home for Senior Citizens Act, aims to institutionalize nursing home facilities across all regions of the Philippines. The proposal reflects his continuing advocacy to strengthen health care and social protection for senior citizens, particularly those who require ongoing medical attention and daily assistance.
Under the bill, every region will be mandated to establish a dedicated nursing home designed to cater to senior citizens who need long-term treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative services. The measure recognizes that many older persons experience complex health conditions that cannot be sufficiently addressed through short-term hospital care alone.
The senator underscored the realities faced by aging Filipinos and the necessity of having specialized institutions that can respond to these challenges.
“Elderly individuals often suffer from chronic illnesses due to their advanced age. Their conditions often manifest in functional decline and cognitive impairments, which require long-term care, rehabilitation and palliative services,” Go said, stressing the urgent need for institutionalized elderly care.
Go also noted that the proposal forms part of his broader effort to make health services more responsive, especially for vulnerable sectors such as senior citizens. He emphasized that establishing nursing homes in every region would help reduce disparities in access to quality elderly care, particularly in areas far from major urban centers.
Aligned With Existing Senior Citizen Protection Laws
As vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health, Go explained that the measure complements several laws already enacted to protect older persons. Among these is Republic Act No. 11350, or the National Commission of Senior Citizens Act, which created a dedicated agency to safeguard the welfare of senior citizens. He also co-authored Republic Act No. 11916, which increased the social pension of indigent senior citizens and amended Republic Act No. 7432, the first Senior Citizens Act.
In addition, Go is one of the authors and a co-sponsor of Senate Bill No. 1509, or the Philippine Geriatric Center Act, which has been approved on third reading and seeks to establish a tertiary specialty hospital for older persons under the Department of Health. He also linked the proposal to Republic Act No. 11959, or the Regional Specialty Centers Act, which provides for the creation of specialty centers within DOH hospitals, including geriatric specialty care.
“Ang Nursing Home for Senior Citizens ay malinaw na patunay ng ating malasakit at pagkilala sa mahalagang papel ng mga senior citizens sa ating lipunan at ng ating responsibilidad na tiyaking sila ay may access sa dekalidad, abot-kaya, at maayos na serbisyo,” Go stated.
Through Senate Bill No. 1779, the senator reiterated his commitment to policies that strengthen the country’s health care system while addressing the realities of an aging population.
“Sa pamamagitan po nito ay masisiguro natin na magkakaroon ng isang pasilidad na nakatuon po sa pangangailangan ng ating mga lolo at lola,” he concluded.
For the average Filipino family, the measure could ease the emotional and financial burden of caring for elderly relatives, while giving senior citizens a safer and more dignified environment for their later years, an important step as the Philippines prepares for a future with more aging citizens.
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