This week is officially “Elderly Filipino Week,” a celebration backed up by two legislative acts: first, Republic Act (RA) 11350, also known as the “National Commission of Senior Citizen Act,” which mandates the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) to “ensure the full implementation of laws, policies, and programs of the government pertaining to senior citizens.”
Second, by virtue of Proclamation 470 issued in 1994 by former President Fidel V. Ramos, declaring the first week of October (Oct. 1 to 7) each year as “Linggo ng Katandaang Filipino” to “highlight the significant role of the elderly sector in nation-building and in promoting their rights and welfare.”
In support, Malacañang issued last weekend Memorandum Circular 34 directing national government agencies and encouraging local government units (LGUs) to support activities and programs for senior citizens during Elderly Filipino Week.
“The success of the annual celebration… will require participation of all national government agencies and instrumentalities, including government-owned or -controlled corporations, government financial institutions, state universities and colleges, and LGUs,” the memorandum read.
According to the NCSC, this year’s theme is “Honoring the Invaluable Legacy of the Filipino Senior Citizens.” Atty. Franklin Quijano, chair of NCSC, said that “the Philippine Plan of Action for the Senior Citizens and the guidelines for Philippine Age-Friendly Local Governments, Age-Friendly Cities, Municipalities and Communities would be launched, to develop a homegrown, age-friendly approach benefitting the senior citizens.”
While celebrating and recognizing the contributions of seniors are important, concrete measures are essential to truly enhance the lives of the approximately 10 million senior citizens in the country. Recent developments include the NCSC welcoming the filing of a bill in Congress that mandates public and private sectors to hire senior citizens.
House Bill 8972, filed by ACT-CIS party-list Representative Erwin Tulfo and four other lawmakers, states that “one percent of the workforce of a private company with at least 100 employees must be senior citizens.” With the proposal, there will be more incentives to companies that will hire qualified senior citizens, such as tax deductions from the senior citizens’ compensation.
Quijano, in a TV interview, said that there are a lot of healthy and productive senior citizens who are still eager and able to work, “We’re actually trying to encourage senior citizens to be more productive by encouraging enterprises to support them… we are happy (with the bill) because many senior citizens are looking for a job and want to spend their time working. They possess the skills and the ability.”
The NCSC chair, however, emphasized that the law must provide full protection to seniors who may wish to become part of the workforce. Aside from flexibility in work schedules, they should be compensated accordingly and covered with relevant insurance. In return, seniors can pass on their skills, knowledge, and wisdom to the younger generation of workers.
The enthusiasm shown by some seniors to rejoin the workforce is proof that age is just a number. In a time when we need an “all-hands-on-deck” approach to tackle the enormous economic challenges of our times, it is vital to harness the strength of the 10-million-strong seniors to build a more resilient and robust future.
We should all be reminded that each day can be a productive day for seniors as long as there are opportunities for them that are available, not just during Elderly Filipino Week but in the weeks that lie ahead.