More wellness centers for the elderly to be set up

MANILA, Philippines - The SM Foundation intends to build many more Felicidad Sy Wellness Centers for the Elderly in addition to the 11 centers it has built in Manila, Bulacan, Parañaque, Batangas, Makati, Cavite, Quezon City, Lucena, Baguio and Iloilo.    

A Center for the Elderly is located in a wing of a government hospital or in a space provided by a local government unit or in adopted barangay halls, like the ones in Fairview and Bago Bantay, Quezon City. In addition to renovating and repainting the building with wall-to-wall murals, furnishing a living room with furniture and equipment, the Center provides entertainment activities and livelihood classes to keep the residents busy and productive.

In the Center for the Elderly in Makati, for instance, the city government has sponsored livelihood programs like candle-making, artificial flower making and Christmas décor-making, which the residents sell. Other centers sponsor ballroom dancing, tai-chi exercises, and bingo.

SM Foundation staff regularly visit the centers to oversee their maintenance, like the repair of furniture and upkeep of toilets and other facilities. They also provide medicine and vitamins through its Gamot Para sa Kapwa program.  Once a year, the SM mobile clinic visits the centers, making available its diagnostic and laboratory services as well as the services of its volunteer doctors and dentists. At the helm of the Foundation’s CSR programs is executive director Debbie Sy and the wellness centers are under the supervision of the Foundation’s executive director for health and medical programs Connie Angeles.