The provincial government of Cotabato assured the elderly in the province that they would continue to provide them with free eyeglasses and their maintenance medicines and dentures. (Photo courtesy of the provincial government of Cotabato)
KIDAPAWAN CITY, Cotabato Province (PIA) -- The provincial government of Cotabato has doubled efforts to provide the elderly with various forms of assistance in a bid to promote their overall health and welfare.
Sourced from different programs, the assistance includes the distribution of free maintenance medicines, eyeglasses, and dentures, as well as ensuring a fast and comfortable payout of cash incentives under the Social Pension Program.
Gov. Emmylou Mendoza said that the provincial government allotted P50 million last year for the distribution of maintenance medicines for senior citizens.
“Sa pamamagitan ng ating BHWs, may door-to-door delivery tayo ng maintenance medicines para sa 24,615 senior citizens na may hypertension at diabetes,” she said.
[Through our BHWs, we have door-to-door delivery of maintenance medicines for 24,615 senior citizens with hypertension and diabetes.]
According to Mendoza, the program is just one of the many efforts of the provincial government for senior citizens, whom the official described as the main drivers and builders of the nation.
We make sure to give attention to our elderly as our way of giving back for all their love and sacrifices rendered to this province, so it is just right to serve them with what’s best and appropriate for them, the governor said.
Wilfredo Pentecostes, a beneficiary of the provincial government's maintenance medicines and vitamins, thanked the province for all its help, saying he has no means to buy all this stuff without the assistance of the provincial government. (Screen grab from the video of the provincial government of Cotabato)
Wilfredo Pentecostes, one of the beneficiaries, expressed how thankful he is for all the assistance he received from the province and other national government agencies.
“Kabos gid kami sa pagbakal namon ka bulong sa trangkaso, vitamins, wala gid,” he said.
[We are so poor that we cannot afford to buy our own medicines, vitamins, or anything at all.]
Pentecostes added that the distribution of maintenance medicines is vital to augment the needs of those who are sick like him, most especially to help families who don’t have a stable income.
Aside from the distribution of maintenance medicines, the provincial government also implements the “Oral Health Program,” which provides free dentures to senior citizens.
The elderly of Cotabato province have also availed of the "Oral Health Program" of the provincial government, which aims to bring back the beautiful smiles of senior citizens. (Photo courtesy of the Inregrated Provincial Health Office, Cotabato Province)
“Sa pakikipagtulungan ng Philippine Dental Association Kidapawan at Cotabato Chapter ay ating naipatupad ang Balik Ngiti Program para kay Lolo at Lola,” noted Mendoza.
[With the collaboration of the Philippine Dental Association Kidapawan and Cotabato Chapter, we have implemented the Balik Ngiti Program for Grandparents.]
The provincial government allotted P1.3 million for the free dentures of senior citizens last year.
“Nalipay ako kay natagaan ako sang ngipon kay kung ako lang magpapustiso, wala gid ko kwarta,” Leonisa Queman, a beneficiary of the program, told the Philippine Information Agency.
[I was happy because I was able to receive my dentures. If it were me, I wouldn't have any money to replace them.]
The provincial government’s “Oplan Liwanag para kay Lolo at Lola” has also provided free eyeglasses to 4,580 indigent senior citizens last year.
The provincial government of Cotabato, in collaboration with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), has guaranteed that the distribution of the social pension to the elderly is comfortable. The DSWD also said that cash payouts for social pensions are now per barangay, making them more tailored to the needs and convenience of the elderly. (Photo courtesy of DSWD Region 12)
Meanwhile, the provincial government continues to closely coordinate with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the implementation of programs for the elderly.
Mendoza also took pride in its partnership with the DSWD and the province's 18 local government units, as they helped one another implement social pensions for senior citizens, pushing for the payout per barangay from the previous clustering of barangays.
She described how the distribution of payouts has been conducted with ease and comfort, which is beneficial to the elderly.
Mendoza also cited the province's current efforts to intensify the delivery of basic services to its senior citizens, saying they have started drafting the "Elderly Welfare and Development Code of Cotabato."
“Ito ang magiging batayan sa ating pagsisiguro sa karapatan, kapakanan, at pangangalaga sa mga senior citizen ng probinsya,” the governor emphasized.
[This will be our legal basis for ensuring the rights, welfare, and care of our province's elderly.] (SJDM - PIA Cotabato Province)
