SATELLITE OFFICE. Chairman Franklin Quijano (center), of the National Commission of Senior Citizens, discusses the plans of setting up a satellite office in Cebu City, during his visit to Mayor Edgardo Labella (left) on Tuesday (Oct. 27, 2020) at the Cebu City Hall. Quijano commended Labella for championing the welfare of the elderlies by providing them with a monthly financial assistance of PHP1,000. (Photo courtesy of Cebu City Hall PIO)
CEBU CITY – The National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) will set up a satellite office in this capital city in order to bring government services closer to the elderlies here, Chairman Franklin Quijano said on Tuesday.
Quijano visited Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella and Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes to pitch in various reforms to be implemented under the new law, Republic Act No. 11350, otherwise known as the National Commission of Senior Citizens Act.
The law was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on July 25 this year.
Quijano said the law ensures full implementation of laws, policies, and programs of the government pertaining to senior citizens.
Before the law was enacted, government programs for the seniors were being implemented through the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
With the passage of RA 11350, the DSWD has ensured smooth transition to the NCSC of the functions, programs, projects, and activities being undertaken by the department for the formulation, implementation and coordination of social welfare and development (SWD) policies and programs for the poor, vulnerable and disadvantaged senior citizens.
In his visit to the Cebu City Hall, Quijano discussed the possibility of developing a data base of senior citizens so that distribution of their benefits can be fast-tracked using the system.
“I commended Mayor Labella for championing the welfare of the senior citizens by providing them with monthly financial assistance of PHP1,000,” Quijano told the Philippine News Agency.
Recently, Labella announced that the city government has partnered with the Land Bank of the Philippines to distribute the PHP12,000 annual cash aid to the elderlies through cash cards.
Quijano also said that Labella has been supportive of his appeal to malls and grocery stores to allow senior citizens to shop for their necessities during the first two hours in the morning.
“The senior citizens are in the twilight of their lives. It’s just the morning that we plea favor,” he said, adding that although the elderlies are vulnerable to coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), establishments are disinfected before opening which makes them at lesser risk of viral transmission.
The NCSC chairman visited the Malacañang sa Sugbo building which is being eyed to house the commission's satellite office. (PNA)
