“Beautiful young people are accidents of nature but beautiful old people are works of art.” - Eleanor Roosevelt

One admirable aspect of Filipino culture is how much we value our elderly. Our elders occupy a important role in our society precisely because of their age and the wisdom that comes with it. It is thus the responsibility of the family and of the State to manage the welfare and well-being of our elderly.

Presidential Proclamation No. 470 s. 1994 declares the 1st week of October as the “Elderly Filipino Week”. PhilHealth Regional Office I, together with its partner agencies such as the Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development, National Nutrition Council, ITRMC, Philippine Information Agency – Media Partners, OSCA Officers, and Senior Citizens from the different municipalities in the province of La Union celebrated this event in the plaza of the City of San Fernando, La Union last October 1, 2016. The occasion was graced by City Mayor Herminigildo Gualberto and DOH Local Health Support Division Chief, Dr. Jimuel Cardenas.

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The day started early with a zumba dance exercise followed by an advocacy walk around the plaza. Well- prepared DOH personnel offered health and wellness services like random blood sugar screening, cholesterol screening, BP measurement and nutritional assessment while the DSWD gave an orientation on Republic Act 9994 otherwise known as The Expanded Senior Citizen Act of 2010. The PhilHealth team, led by Region I Vice President, Atty. Rodolfo del Rosario, Jr. provided an opportunity for the elderly to update their records and be issued with an updated PhilHealth Member Data Record (MDR) and ID cards. The Z Benefit Packages, which our elderly can also avail themselves of, were thoroughly discussed by La Union Local Health Insurance Office Chief Dr. Helen Tobias.

This year’s theme was “Pagmamahal at Respeto ng Nakababata, Nagpapaligaya sa Nakatatanda”. This theme not only embodies the core Filipino values of love and respect for the elderly but also calls attention to what truly makes the senior citizens happy, enjoy life and savor the fruit of their labor from their younger years. The matter of ageing has been the subject of numerous studies in the local and international levels. The World Health Organization (WHO) said that many countries, including the Philippines, have an increasing population of elderly people due to improved health and declining fertility rates.

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This phenomenon has prompted governments, as well as international organizations, to formulate strategies and plans to better manage ageing and health. Here in the Philippines, our government responded by providing mandatory PhilHealth coverage to all senior citizens as embodied in PhilHealth Circular No. 006 – 2015.

PhilHealth strives to increase the reach of its programs to its members that include senior citizens, retirees and pensioners. Additional special benefits for catastrophic cases referred to as the Z benefit packages, cover ailments like prostate cancer, orthopedic implants, colorectal cancer, bypass surgery, among others. In addition, Senior Citizens/ Lifetime Members are also entitled to the No Balance Billing Policy (NBB). All these strategic actions are aimed to make beloved parents, grandparents, and great grandparents, both healthy and happy.

Those blessed to live to a ripe old age should be able to do so in comfort, with the respect and appreciation they deserve. Mabuhay ang ating mga nakatatanda! (END) (Cynthia S. Santos, FOD Chief PRO1)