Solon wants day care centers for senior citizens

A proposed bill seeking to establish community-based daycare centers for the elderly has been filed in the House of Representatives.

In filing proposed House Bill (HB) No. 10362, United Senior Citizens Party-list Representative Milagros Aquino-Magsaysay said the day care centers will offer educational, health, and socio-cultural programs and services for senior citizens.

Various social services such as arts and crafts, games, story-telling, field trips, and outings will also be available at the facilities.

The funding for the daycare centers will be sourced from the allocation of the respective local government units (LGUs). They may also accept donations.

Meanwhile, the proposed measure drew mixed reactions from several senior citizens.

“Merong mga senior na binabalewala...Kung maging totoo, magkaroon ng day care para sa senior, maganda,” Senior Citizen Platinum Chapter President Baltazar Balmores.

(Some senior citizens are being ignored. If this comes true, they will have a community, it would be good for them.)

Antonio Montefrio, for his part, said the government should address the needs of senior citizens first.

“Tugunan muna yung naka-pending na bill para sa mga benefits ng senior citizen katulad ng NCSC, ‘yung universal pension na sinasabi nila. Wala pa ho yun,” Montefrio said.

(I hope they would pass other pending bills for senior citizens first including the universal pension bill.)—Sundy Locus/RF. GMA Integrated News