Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto and Ambassador for Global Health Teiji Hayashi during the visit to the Pasig Magokoro Elderly Care Facility on Aug. 20. (Photo courtesy of Pasig City PIO
The Pasig Magokoro Elderly Care Facility highlighted the continuing Philippines-Japan cooperation in strengthening elderly care and improving services for senior citizens.
Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto joins Japanese and Philippine government officials during their visit to the Pasig Magokoro Elderly Care Facility on Aug. 20. (Photo courtesy of Pasig City PIO)
Japanese government and Department of Health (DOH) officials visited the facility on Aug. 20 as part of the 4th Philippines-Japan High-Level Joint Committee Meeting (HLJCM), which included elderly care, universal health coverage, and disaster health management among its major areas of cooperation.
Ambassador for Global Health Teiji Hayashi led the Japanese delegation, which included representatives from the Cabinet Secretariat, Embassy of Japan, and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), while the DOH was represented by officials from the Bureau of International Health Cooperation, National Center for Geriatric Health, and DOH-Metro Manila Center for Health Development.
Pasig City officials welcomed the delegation, led by the city mayor, who expressed the local government's appreciation to Japan and JICA for their cooperation in establishing the Magokoro Elderly Care Facility.
The mayor also cited the contributions of the partner agencies in sharing their knowledge and experience in elderly care, noting that the facility is only the beginning of the city's broader goal of providing better and more humane services for senior citizens.
City Social Welfare and Development Office Head Ma. Teresa Briones presented the facility's programs and services, including its Japanese-style caregiving concept.
The site visit was part of Philippines‑Japan health cooperation, focusing on senior citizen services and sharing healthcare knowledge and practices.
The Philippines-Japan health cooperation began with a Memorandum of Cooperation signed by the DOH and its Japanese counterparts on Feb. 21, 2019, aimed at strengthening collaboration between the two countries in various areas of healthcare.