Dialogue/Meeting of OPAs with appropriate agencies has been scheduled

Sixty-two (62) OP leaders/officers – 15 males; and 47 females – from different federations representing their own areas and regions attended a follow-up meeting on the preparation for the Age Demands Action campaign on addressing issues and concerns on the implementation of social pension in the Philippines was undertaken after the initial meeting held on August 15.

To address issues and concerns on social pension, OPA federations which are members of Confederation of Older People’s Association of the Philippines (COPAP) will conduct a dialogue/meeting with their respective municipal leaders; local government unit; Office of the Senior Citizens Affair (OSCA) to discuss and find out who the recipients/beneficiaries of the social pension are. The Department of Interior and Local Government will be invited. (see table below for schedules)

AREAS/REGIONS	TARGET DATES
Quezon City	September 12, 2011
Manila	Still working on with the schedule
San Juan	Still working on with the schedule
Mandaluyong	September 6, 2011
Malabon	Still working on with the schedule
Navotas	Still working on with the schedule
Pateros	Still working on with the schedule
Taguig	September 27, 2011
Pasig	September 27, 2011
Caloocan	September 27, 2011
Pasay	September 29, 2011
Valenzuela	Still working on with the schedule
Rizal	Still working on with the schedule
Antipolo	Still working on with the schedule
Binangonan	Still working on with the schedule
Cavite	Still working on with the schedule
Montalban	Still working on with the schedule
San Mateo	Still working on with the schedule
San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan	Still working on with the schedule
GMA Cavite	September 20, 2011
Dasmariñas	Still working on with the schedule

It was also planned after the “Walk of Life” on October 1, OPAs will stage a press conference with the key people in the presence of Sec. Dinky Soliman of DSWD and Sen. Pia Cayetano, who sponsored the RA 9994, to further present results of the implementation of social pension.

The legislation/law has already been enacted for almost a year but there are problems in its implementation. Many poor older people were not included in the list of beneficiaries that should receive social pension. In line with the celebration of “Elderly Filipino Week” on October 1–7, it’s very timely to act to ask for the temporary suspension of the implementation of the social pension until the government come up with a credible data or lists of social pensioners.

In the National Capital Region (NCR), out of more than 2,000 beneficiaries of the social pension coming from different cities – based on the data from Regional Coordinating and Monitoring Board (RCMB) – just over 1,000 were given social pension to date. According to Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), beneficiaries included in the list were already dead; returned to their respective provinces and moved to a different place. These indicate that the data gathered have problems. Since the surveyors were being paid according to output, they need to reach their target quota. Unfortunately, those older people who were residing in a remote place have not been reached.

Introducing the Spokesperson for ADA

"Tatay" Epifanio Correz, 79 years old, from Valenzuela City has been selected to represent the older persons for the issues on social pension. He is an example of a poor elderly but excluded from the list of those receiving social pension. He can hardly walk because of old age and he is using a cane to ease problem of walking. He even has to skip meals and cannot afford to seek medical advice because he is financially incapacitated. Sometimes he got support from a relative who seldom visited him. He lives away from his family and is not receiving any support from them – his wife and children live in Mindanao – 958.96 kilometers away from Valenzuela City.

 

 

 

Age Demands Action is funded by: