Sitwasyon sa mga senior citizens sa atong nasud

Pinaagi sa Internet, gi-Google kining mga kasayoran mahitungod sa kahimtang sa elderly population. Una sa tanan giingon dinhi nga ang gidaghanon sa mga senior citizens sa atong nasud nagtubo. Matud pa:  “In the Philippines, the number of older people is increasing rapidly, faster than growth in the total population.”

Sa tuig 2000, 4.6 million ra kita ka mga seniors, representing about 6% of the country’s total population. Sulod lamang sa 20 ka tuig, misaka ang atong gidaghanon ngadto sa  9.4 million older or about 8.6% of the total population.

Mao ni ang akong giingon nga kon magkahiusa lang unta kitang tanang senior citizens, mahisama unta kita sa AARP sa America, nga giisip sila nga usa sa labing influential nga lobbying group sa U.S. Kita dinhi, unsa man ta as an organization. Nakatibulaag, nag-iyahay. 

Ambot ngano nga lisud man kaayo ug imposible man usahon kitang mga Pinoy. Sa America, ang AARP, ang ilang kapunongan sa mga retirees ug mga senior citizens usa sa nakapadaug ni Obama. Kon magkahiusa lang unta kita sa tibuok nasud, makapadaog na kita’g presidente. 

Wishful thinking lang ning ako! Bunga sa paghanduraw sa kalisud natong usahon. Ila kitang gitan-aw as individual senior citizens,  and not as a potent, powerful (unta) nga sector.

Ug ania: “The World Population Prospects 2019 projects that by 2050, older people will make up around 16.5% of the total population.” Daghana na no?

Giingon dinhi nga ang mga senior citizens nagkinahanglan og pag-atiman, dili pasagdan. “An ageing population increases the demand for health services. Older people suffer from both degenerative and communicable diseases due to the ageing of the body’s immune system. The leading causes of morbidity are infections, while visual impairment, difficulty in walking, chewing, hearing, osteoporosis, arthritis and incontinence are other common health-related problems.”

Nakadugang sa kalisud sa mga senior citizens mao ang kawad-on. Matud sa Department of Social Welfare and Department (DSWD), mga 31.4% sa katigulangan, “were living in poverty in 2000. Currently, this number is estimated to be 1.3 million older people.”

Of course, wala kita pasagdi sa atong gobiyerno. Ania: “Republic Act No. 344 or the Accessibility Law of 1982 provides for the minimum requirements and standards to make buildings, facilities, and utilities for public use accessible to persons with disability, including older persons who are confined to wheelchairs and those who have difficulty in walking or climbing stairs, among others.” Mao ba?

“Republic Act No. 7876 entitled “An Act Establishing a Senior Citizens Center in all Cities and Municipalities of the Philippines.” Gi-implement na ni.   “Republic Act No. 8425 created the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC).” I think na-abolished na kini, with the creation of the National Commission for Senior Citizens.

“The General Appropriations Act of 2012”, under Section 28 mandates that all government agencies and instrumentalities should allocate one percent of their total agency budget to programs and projects for older persons and persons with disabilities.” Mao ra og wa ni matuman.

“Republic Act No. 9994, known as “Expanded Seniors Citizen Act of 2010, an act granting additional benefits and privileges to senior citizens, further amending RA 9257.