NCSC, seniors group oppose bills attaching commission to DSWD

MANILA, Philippines — The National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) and National Movement of Older Persons (NMOP) on Thursday opposed Senate bills seeking to institutionalize the commission’s attachment to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

At the center of the Senate joint committee hearing is whether the NCSC should remain an independent body with policymaking and implementing functions or be attached to the DSWD and focus primarily on policy, coordination and monitoring.

During the hearing, NCSC Commissioner Maria Dolores Rigonan warned that attaching the commission to the DSWD could “inadvertently marginalize the senior citizen sector and dilute its original mandate.”

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Rigonan said operational challenges should instead be addressed through stronger institutional support, capacity building and adequate funding.

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READ: Marcos places senior citizens commission under DSWD

Three Senate bills taken up during the hearing seek to amend Republic Act No. 11350, or the National Commission of Senior Citizens Act, amid concerns over the commission’s operational capacity and the efficient delivery of programs for senior citizens.

NMOP’s Floro Francisco meanwhile opposed the proposed setup, arguing that the NCSC’s difficulties stemmed partly from institutional constraints during its early years, including limited funding and delays in the appointment of commissioners.

Francisco said the commission received only P25 million in its first year and also questioned whether the DSWD was equipped to take on its functions, noting that the department has no specific unit primarily dedicated to senior citizens.

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Sen. Erwin Tulfo, who chaired the hearing, also asked the Department of Budget and Management whether sufficient funds were available to provide the NCSC with additional personnel and operational resources.

According to DBM’s Reynaldo Moreno, providing additional resources could be challenging with limited resources.

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Moreno added that requests for new positions and funding would have to be evaluated based on the commission’s mandate, needs and fund utilization, among other considerations.

The DSWD Asec. Rodolfo Santos, meanwhile, said the existing arrangement under Executive Order No. 96, which attaches the NCSC to the department for policy and program coordination, promotes efficiency, prevents duplication of functions and maximizes government resources.

Tulfo also questioned whether the DSWD could effectively handle additional responsibilities given its existing workload but stressed that the committee had yet to reach a final position.

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Tulfo reaffirmed that they would have to study this “rigorously.” He said that the committee would hold more hearings to hear the positions of senior citizens’ groups and other concerned sectors. /mr