By Genalyn Kabiling
President Duterte has urged local government units (LGUs) to build wellness centers for the elderly similar to the hub recently built in Taguig City.
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte delivers his speech during his visit to the Taguig City Center for the Elderly on November 21, 2019. (KING RODRIGUEZ/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO/ MANILA BULLETIN)
The President said the country's senior citizens deserve "utmost care and support" as he endorsed the Taguig Center for the Elderly to other city and municipal governments.
The five-story building, a project of the city government of Taguig, offers rest and recreation to the elders, from therapy pool, massage areas, cinema to a clinic and a dialysis center. Senior citizens also enjoy free bus rides to and from the center.
"For me, this program is an honest proof of your solidarity with the national government in promoting inclusivity, fairness and good governance. May you continue to support this administration’s development agenda and I wish that your pursuit to uplift the lives of our senior citizens will be emulated by other city and municipal governments in the country,” Duterte said.
"Our parents, our grandfathers, our grandmothers went through a lot of trials and tribulations, and all that we, in government, can do is to show concern by making their lives easier through accessible medical services, reliable financial assistance, and worthwhile recreational facilities," he said.
Duterte admitted that the Filipino elderly are close to his heart not only because he is one of them but especially because he understands their effort to give their children a better. He said senior citizens have "sacrificed everything" to raise their families well.
"Senior citizens, as integral members of the Filipino family, deserve utmost care and support after fruitful years of contributing to nation-building,” the 74-year-old leader said.
"Now is the time that we give back to them by letting them know how grateful we are for having them and by honoring their crucial role in our lives," he added.
Duterte also thanked the city government of Taguig for alleviating the plight of the elderly population. He said he was appreciated Taguig's commitment in ensuring that no constituent regardless of gender, status or age will be left behind as the city continues to grow and prosper.
The new wellness center would "surely make them healthier and more productive as they endure old age," Duterte said.
"These also be their source of strength and inspiration as they continue to enjoy their lives and share in our collective task of developing and nurturing society," he added.
The Taguig Center for the Elderly, located along Ipil-ipil Street in North Signal Village, opened last April.
"This center means that our elders have an esteemed place in this city, that they have a place where they can enjoy, pamper themselves, build their circles," Taguig City Mayor Lino Cayetano said.