QUEZON CITY (PIA) — As the country concludes the annual celebration of Elderly Filipino Week (EFW), the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) highlights the recognition of senior citizens’ contributions to Philippine society.
The first week of October of every year is celebrated as “Linggo ng Katandaang Filipino (Elderly Filipino Week),” as mandated by Proclamation No. 470, signed in 1994.
“Themed ‘Senior Citizens – Building the Nation, Inspiring Generations,’ EFW 2024 emphasizes the stories of love, milestones, and significant community contribution of senior citizens,” according to the NCSC.
In leading the kick-off for the nationwide celebration of EFW 2024 at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City on October 1, NCSC Officer-in-Charge, Dr. Mary Jean Loreche said, “Ang greatest benefit of being an older person is to be a source of wisdom and understanding.”
During the celebration, government offices as well as private sector groups and establishments in different parts of the country initiated the conduct of a variety of activities in support of senior citizens and together with the seniors themselves.
These activities included discussion forums, especially on senior citizens’ benefits, livelihood training, free medical checkups, eye care services, capability-building sessions including digital literacy, distribution of assistive devices, free reading glasses, Zumba dance-fitness sessions, parades, cultural performances, tree planting, and many others.
Explaining the theme for the celebration, Loreche said, “Kapag sinabi nating inspiring generations, ibig lang pong sabihin gusto nating maging kagaya natin sila (When we say ‘inspiring generations,’ it means we want the next generation to be like us). We want them to look forward to reaching the age that we are in today. We want to help them develop values that they will be able to pass on to their next generations.”
National government leading the way
Loreche thanked the national government for its assistance to the country’s elderly.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in February this year signed Republic Act (RA) 11982 granting benefits to octogenarians and nonagenarians.
This law states, “All Filipinos, whether residing in the Philippines or abroad, upon reaching the ages of 80, 85, 90, and 95, shall each receive a cash gift of -P10,000. The grantees under this section shall be eligible to receive the cash gift within one (1) year from reaching the ages of 80, 85, 90, 95, and 100.”
The president said the expansion of the coverage of the Centenarians Act is a homage to the Filipino trait of compassion, and in the Philippine culture, this shows more kindness and compassion to the elderly.
“But they deserve more than cash in an envelope. What they should get is a support infrastructure that every society owes to its greying population. There were already close to 10 million seniors two years ago … But as this demographic enlarges, the societal facilities that attend to them should be expanded as well,” Marcos said.
In 1992, Republic Act (RA) 7432 was signed, which “maximizes the contribution of senior citizens to nation building and grants benefits and special privileges to senior citizens.”
It states, “The increasing population of elderly persons is entitled to adequate food, shelter, clothing, and health care and should be provided with opportunities for livelihood, family and community support and self-help… [E]derly persons should, likewise, have access to appropriate educational and training programs either as participants or as resource providers, considering their wealth of experience and capabilities.”
RA 7432 also declares as policies to: motivate and encourage the senior citizens to contribute to nation-building; and encourage their families and the communities they live with to reaffirm the valued Filipino tradition of caring for the senior citizens.
The Act aims to: establish mechanisms whereby the contribution of the senior citizens is maximized; adopt measures whereby our senior citizens are assisted and appreciated by the community as a whole; and establish a program beneficial to the senior citizens, their families and the rest of the community that they serve.
Action plan for senior citizens
The NCSC, created by RA No. 11350, is mandated to, among others, “[e]nsure the full implementation of laws, policies, and programs of the government pertaining to senior citizens; review and conduct studies on the same: and recommend appropriate actions thereon to Congress and the President; formulate policies for the promotion and protection of the rights and well-being of senior citizens; and conduct information, education, and communication campaigns to raise awareness on the rights of senior citizens.”
It spearheads the implementation of the Philippine Plan of Action for Senior Citizens (PPASC) 2023-2028 which sets the comprehensive roadmap aimed at enriching the lives and welfare of senior citizens nationwide.
Loreche said, “We want to encourage the youth today via the programs we’re doing, that, ‘I want to reach this age,’ to have their wish not only for the 20 percent discount plus 12 percent VAT for the medicines, but because of many benefits, and the greatest benefit of being an older person is to be a source of wisdom.”
Noting that respect for the elderly remains part of Filipino culture and values, she added, “In our programs now, we want to start strengthening the families and the homes where family members care for the elderly.” (PIA DMD)
