Respect, not neglect for our senior citizens

A heartbreaking display of neglect and a violation of human dignity. That is how I would describe the recent rescue of 17 senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs) from an unregistered “care facility” in Maramag, Bukidnon in a story that has shocked the nation.

These vulnerable individuals were discovered in appalling conditions: photos show some were lying on filthy, worn-out mattresses, one disturbingly placed beside a toilet. The common bathroom was a picture of decay with moss-covered surfaces from years of grime and jagged steel jutting out from unfinished walls, posing serious safety hazards. One report described the facility’s odor as an “unbearable stench,” a smell so foul that nearby residents had long complained.

The incident, which made headlines here and abroad, exposes the systemic neglect of our most vulnerable citizens and highlights the urgent need for comprehensive reform.

According to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the unregistered care facility lacked professional caregivers, medical personnel, safety standards and even basic sanitation.

This wasn’t just mismanagement; it was a clear abuse of the helpless.

What makes this incident more infuriating is that families of residents were charged five to six thousand pesos a month for expected accommodation and care, according to news reports. Yet the photos revealed the horrid conditions of the elderly and PWDs in the facility. Moreover, the fact that the facility managed to operate for years, even reported as an “open secret,” oblivious from government regulators, highlights a glaring failure of oversight and accountability.

An investigation should be launched to determine why the facility managed to operate for years without immediate government intervention and the operators of the facility should be held accountable to the full extent of the law.

As Senior Citizens Party-List Rep. Rodolfo “Ompong” Ordanes said, this incident should serve as a wake-up call to our government. Senior citizens and PWDs deserve to live a life with dignity and care, not neglect.

How many more “care facilities” are operating in the shadows at the expense of our most vulnerable citizens?

The government must act swiftly to strengthen the licensing and monitoring mechanisms for care facilities in the country to enforce the necessary standards and ensure that only legitimate ones are allowed to operate. Regular inspections, surprise audits and community reporting systems must be strictly implemented to ensure that care facilities adhere to standards.

Second, the government needs to invest in geriatric care and public elderly care facilities to provide senior citizens with proper health care and allow them to age Z from B1

with dignity. Geriatric care must be included in the broader health agenda of the country to ensure that senior citizens have access to specialized healthcare. This includes equipping public hospitals and barangay health centers with senior-friendly facilities and equipment.

Third, the government must professionalize caregiving by incentivizing training programs, providing certifications and ensuring that caregivers are properly compensated. Caregivers must be recognized as health care workers, not domestic helpers.

Lastly, we must shift our mindset. Elderly care is not just a moral duty of the family, it is a societal responsibility. Aging should not be treated as a burden or a curse, but as a natural phase of life that every Filipino deserves to experience with compassion and respect.

While there have been significant improvements in social benefits for senior citizens in recent years, much more needs to be done. I call on our lawmakers to pass the Comprehensive Welfare and National Health Program for Senior Citizens Act to help promote the welfare of the elderly.

Growing old in the Philippines should be embraced, not feared. I always say that it is a privilege to grow old and should be viewed as a dignified chapter in life and one that deserves honor, care and respect. Senior citizens have spent decades contributing to the nation’s growth. In return, they deserve more than mere survival. They deserve to live their remaining years in safety, with respect and compassion, and free from neglect.