Enhanced database of senior citizens eyed

FILE PHOTO: An elderly man is wheeled into a vaccination area inside V-Mall in San Juan City on Friday, May 20, 2022, to get his second booster shot. Philippine Daily Inquirer/Grig C. Montegrande

MANILA, Philippines — The National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) is eyeing a more extensive database of senior citizens that would include their health profiles for better monitoring.

NCSC Chairperson Franklin Quijano on Monday admitted that their collection of data on senior citizens is currently based on the files of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and Commission on Population and Development, which still needs more information on senior citizens in the country.

“Data is broad and general because we get this from the PSA and from POPCOM, but we need to have the details,” he said.

“May datos tayo na initial but gusto pa nating ipalalim iyong datos na iyon dahil kailangan nating malaman ang health profile ng bawat senior citizen nang sa ganoon ay makatulong ang ating pamahalaan sa kanilang health programs,” he added.

(We have initial data, but we want to intensify our data because we need to know the health profile of each senior citizen so that the government can help in its health programs.)

Quijano added that they also want to enhance their database to know the skill set profile of the elderly so that the government can meet each of their needs and encourage the, to help in nation building.

Aside from advocating for healthy productive aging, the NCSC is pushing for a free annual medical and dental examination for senior citizens, he said.

“Health is wealth; Mens sana in corpore sano (we need to have a healthy mind in a healthy body). All these advocacies will really bring everyone to their toes in creating a stronger country,” Quijano said.

Currently, the commission is focusing on programs which was recently transferred to them by the Department of Social Welfare and Development that includes the provision of social pension and residential care facilities, promotion of healthy aging and longevity that Filipinos may reach the age of 100, assistance to older persons,  and consolidation and coordination with the social senior citizen’s organizations.

In the past 10 years, the Philippines’ geriatric population has grown significantly. According to the latest statistics from the PSA, there were 12,336,355 Filipinos who were 60 years of age or older as of May 2020.

The 2020 Census of Population and Housing, meanwhile, indicated that the total number of senior citizens was 11.31% of the expected total population of 109,035,343. — Catherine Dabu, trainee

RELATED STORY

PH senior citizens in a time of pandemic

KGA