Seniors seek more age-friendly measures

CEBU, Philippines - The senior citizens in Cebu City are hoping that the government officials will really make the entire city an “age-friendly city” by implementing strict guidelines to promote their safety and put up facilities such as seats in strategic public places where they can rest once they are tired.

The lack of seats in sidewalks and in other public places in Cebu City where anybody can take a rest once they are tired of walking was among the issues presented by Dr. Amparo Florida, president of Golden Center of Cebu Inc., during the Age-Friendly workshop held at the Grand Convention Center yesterday.

“Husto g’yod kaayo. Kon maglakaw ka karon diha sa aseras unya kapoyon ka, wala kay kapahuwayan nga lingkoranan. Bisan sa mga department stores angay g’yod unta nga butangan usab og tukmang gidaghanon sa mga lingkoranan,” one of the senior citizens said.

Florida also said the drivers should respect the elderly persons because most of them no longer wait for embarking senior citizens to be seated before speeding off.

She also said that the senior citizens need more open green spaces, like public plazas where they can roam once in a while. 

Sidewalks in Cebu City are also not friendly to the senior citizens, particularly to those differently-abled persons, because of its un-leveled pavements and passageways made narrower because of the presence of sidewalk vendors.

Councilor Rodrigo Abellanosa, chairman of the Committee on Social Services, initiated the activity to make the city prepared because of the trend that in the next two or three decades the city’s population of senior citizens is expected to increase.

“Planning is needed for our growing population of older persons. They are the backbone of our society,” he said.  

Mayor on-leave Tomas Osmeña who spoke before the forum said he is glad that the said sector of the community has the courage to come out into open to give their sentiments because the Cebu City government is very willing to answer their demands.

Osmeña said the city has surplus funds, aside from its regular budget, that is why he has ordered to appropriate more projects under the seventh supplemental budget, including the granting of additional P2,000 cash assistance to the senior citizens in the city on top of their P2,000 that they already received.

The mayor said when he learned that many of the senior citizens spent their cash assistance for their maintenance drugs and medicines he decided to give additional cash incentives to them.

Osmeña said he is also toying the idea of putting up drugstores in the barangays where the senior citizens can buy medicines at cheaper prices because some drugstores do not usually give 20 percent discounts or the sales personnel will tell them the medicine is not available.

In his speech, the mayor proudly announced that the city is now facing a unique problem on “how to spend our money,” which triggered laughter among the senior citizens. 

He said that he expects that before yearend, the city will receive P600 million as advance payment for another sale of lots at the South Road Properties.

He, however, refused to elaborate it when asked by reporters. — Rene U. Borromeo/BRP   (FREEMAN NEWS)