The Pasig City local government partnered with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Philippines and INFIC Inc., to introduce and develop a “Japanese-style care system” for the city’s elderly population.
The agreement was signed by Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto, JICA Philippines Chief Representative Sakamoto Takema, and INFIC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Masuda Masatoshi in a brief ceremony at the city hall.
(Photo from JICA Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN)
The care system is said to be a comprehensive model that focuses on the empowerment of elderly individuals by strengthening their support systems and providing them with the tools that can nurture their independence in fulfillment of their daily needs.
These mechanisms include training sessions for caregivers, and a combination of day care, short-term stay, and home visits for the city’s elderly residents.
The program will also implement an online monitoring procedure that utilizes technology, through internet-based devices, that can monitor the health and living conditions of the elderly in their homes.
INFIC Inc., a firm based in Shizuoka City, Japan specializing in nursing-care and other human and technology services, will provide the resources to ensure the proper implementation of the program’s pilot rollout in Pasig, which is expected to run until 2025.
The local government will provide the facility within the city where the program can be implemented, as per the agreement.
(Photo from JICA Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN)
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) recorded 9.2 million Filipinos aged 60 years old and above in the country in 2020, with 73,000 coming from Pasig City.
JICA Chief Rep. Takema said the agency aligns with the Philippine national government’s aim of addressing the issues concerning the country’s aging population, citing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s message during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit last May.
“Our goals and work plans should include safe, dignified, and productive lives for our elderly people,” remarked Takema.
INFIC President Masatoshi said his company is “working to support the independence of the world's elderly with the power of nursing care and the power of technology.”
“We hope to enable the elderly in the Philippines to live their lives to the fullest and with smiles on their faces, while promoting the spread of nursing care facilities in the Philippines,” said Masatoshi.
The program is part of JICA’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Business Supporting Survey that helps and promotes projects across the Philippines in various fields such as disaster management, agriculture, environment, energy, and social development. There are currently 88 projects under this program in the country.
The program complements the existing initiatives that the Pasig City local government offers their senior citizens such as the Local Senior Pension (LSP) program, the annual distribution of holiday cash gifts, and livelihood opportunities for the elderly.
The local government also has on-going projects in partnership with JICA which include the Pasig-Marikina River Channel Improvement Project, climate change research, traffic management, and others.