NCSC Backs Landmark Legal Aid Partnership for Senior Citizens

The National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) has expressed strong support for a newly signed legal assistance agreement to protect and empower older Filipinos.

The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), signed on 06 April 2026, brings together the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), represented by  Atty. Allan G. Panolong and the Coalition of Associations of Senior Citizens in the Philippines, Inc., represented by Hon. Rodolfo “Ompong” M. Ordanes.

The initiative marks a significant step toward expanding access to justice for senior citizens, particularly those who are indigent and vulnerable.

Serving as a witness to this partnership, NCSC Chairperson and CEO Atty. Ma. Merceditas N. Gutierrez underscored the fundamental role of the law in safeguarding the dignity and rights of older persons. Drawing from her experience as a former Ombudsman and Acting Secretary of Justice, she emphasized that many senior citizens continue to face abuse and neglect, often in silence due to limited access to legal remedies.

“Through this partnership, we are fighting to ensure that no senior citizen is beneath the law’s notice,” she said.

The agreement establishes a Legal Assistance Program that will provide free legal advice, representation, legal education, and referral services through IBP chapters nationwide. The program is designed to bridge gaps in access to justice and ensure that legal support reaches those who need it most.

Atty. Gutierrez also called on members of the legal profession to go beyond viewing senior citizens as mere cases, urging them instead to recognize the invaluable contributions of older persons to nation-building.

The NCSC has committed to playing an active role in the program’s implementation by identifying beneficiaries, coordinating with local communities, and providing administrative support.

“This is more than a document—it is a living mechanism of relief,” she emphasized, highlighting the importance of translating policy into meaningful and tangible outcomes.

To further strengthen collaboration, the NCSC is set to enter into a separate Memorandum of Understanding with the IBP, which will expand to provide legal services for the senior citizen sector.

Reaffirming its mandate, the NCSC stressed that while people may age, their rights remain constant and must be protected through fair and accessible justice.

“Let us prove that in the Philippines, the law does not grow old or weary. Let us show our elders that while their hair may have turned silver, their rights remain as golden and as firm as the day they were written,” Atty. Gutierrez concluded. ■