Firms urged to hire able-bodied seniors

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MANILA, Philippines — A partylist lawmaker on Tuesday urged businesses to work with local governments in hiring fit-to-work elderly Filipinos.

Senior Citizen partylist Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes, chair of the House committee on senior citizens, said that if the country’s 148 cities could each produce in a year 1,000 jobs for people age 60 and above, “that is already 148,000 jobs created, even if only for temporary six-month periods.”

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He proposed that the City of Manila serve as the benchmark after Mayor Honey Lacuna signed last month a memorandum of agreement with the manpower provider of McDonald’s, J and F Food Corp, for a hiring program for senior citizens and persons with disability.

“For seniors with special skills and a wealth of experience, short-term employment contracts or consultancies can help keep them active, provide for some of their daily needs and improve their self-esteem,” Ordanes said. — JEANNETTE I. ANDRADE