Senior citizen Gabriel Carreon fills out the Malasakit Health Card distributed to Presidents of Senior Citizens Asoociation in Davao City on Sunday. Photo by Lilian C Mellejor/PNA
DAVAO CITY – Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go enrolled the first batch of senior citizens to the “Pagkalinga sa Bayan” program in celebration of the National Grandparents Day on Sunday.
Go celebrated the Grandparents Day by treating the presidents of the Senior Citizens Associations to a dinner and distributed Malasakit Health Cards to 63 senior citizens.
Gabriel Carreon, 67, resident of this city's Poblacion district, took time to fill out the back of the health card with basic information. He currently gets a supply of vitamins from the city's health center, but he still needs to shell out funds from his own pocket for his other medicines.
Carreon has hypertension, and was recently diagnosed with a Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) which involves the enlargement of the prostate gland.
"Dako pasalamat gitakad gyud mi ni Secretary Bong Go ug sa Presidente. Dako kaayo ni tabang para sa amo nga mga senior parents labi na nagsalig lang ako sa akong SSS pension. Di gyud paigo (I really thank Secretary Bong Go and the President because they never neglected us. This is a big help to us senior parents, especially for me who rely only on my SSS pension. It's not enough)," he said.
The senior citizens, who were issued with the health cards, can avail PHP5,000 worth of medicines under the “Pagkalinga” program at any Malasakit Center, a one-stop shop that would assist them in their health concerns and medical expenses.
In Davao City, the Malasakit Center is located at the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC).
Go, President Rodrigo Duterte, and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte initiated the “Pagkalinga sa Bayan” program to help less fortunate Filipinos, especially the senior citizens cope with their maintenance medicines and other medical needs.
Go said President Duterte poured PHP50 million for the program in Davao City alone. Aside from the 20 percent discount and the VAT exemption senior citizens enjoy, Go said they are also entitled to other mandatory health coverage under PhilHealth and the "No Balance Billing Policy" in hospitals.
Go lauded the senior citizens for their role in building a strong foundation of Filipinos.
"Kung hindi sa kanila wala sana tayo dito kaya dapat lang na suklian natin ang kanilang serbisyo (It is just right to return their services because if not for them we will not be here)," Go said. (Lilian C Mellejor/PNA)
