MANILA -- The Quezon City local government is pushing for a converging area for senior citizens and persons with disability (PWDs).
The Quezon City Council has passed a resolution requesting barangays and homeowners’ associations in charge of city-built covered courts to prioritize senior citizens and PWDs in using these places as converging area for their physical, moral and social well-being.
Quezon City has 142 barangays and a population of about 3 million, 51,000 of whom are considered PWDs.
Authored by Councilor Melencio Castelo Jr., City Resolution 7487-2018 requests all barangays, homeowners’ associations (HOA) and other entities in-charge of the administration of city-built covered courts and areas in the city to give priority to senior citizens and PWDs in using these as points of convergence from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m., Monday to Friday, free of charge.
“Napakahalaga na magkaroon ng converging area para sa mga senior citizens at PWDs dahil may mga barangay dito sa ating lungsod na salat sa mga areas na pagdarausan (It’s very important to have a converging area for the senior citizens and PWDs because there are barangays here in our city that have no sufficient areas to converge),” Quezon City Office of the Senior Citizen Affairs (OSCA) personnel officer Erlinda Bañego said in an interview on Thursday.
Based on OSCA statistics, 375,000 senior citizens live in Quezon City.
“Sa amin sa Barangay Tatalon, hindi kami nakakagamit ng facilities ng barangay hall. Kaya, sa kalsada kami nagpupulong at nagdaraos ng physical fitness activities (In our place in Barangay Tatalon, we could not use the facilities of the barangay hall. Hence, we hold our meetings on the street and conduct physical fitness activities),” Bañego added.
The resolution noted that it is the policy of the government to extend full support for the betterment of the physical, moral and social well-being of senior citizens and PWDs in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act Nos. 7432, or the “Senior Citizen Law”, as amended and 7277, or the “Magna Carta for Disabled Persons”, as amended.
"Senior citizens and PWDs should be provided an area in their barangay or community that will serve as their converging area in order to nurture and foster their capacity and ability to attain a more meaningful and productive life," the resolution added. (PNA)
