Seniors’ gift

The tug-of-war between Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and the City Council over when to distribute cash aid for senior cities rs cash assistance which the mayor won by virtue of an early distribution served was an appropriate backdrop to an Asian social science council conference in Cebu that dealt with ageing societies,  including the Philippines.

Cebu  City was cited as is one of several local government units (LGUs) with aid programs for its senior residents  along with Quezon City and Makati City. While Cebu City prefers to give P10,000 cash by installment  to its seniors, Quezon City and Makati City governments  gives free hospital assistance to its seniors, not a few of whom are indigents.

Free hospital care is one of the programs that helped the Binays remain unbeatable in  elections for years.

The annual cash alllotment for seniors in Cebu City was the brainchild of former mayor and now Rep. Tomas Osmeña of Cebu City’s south district.

By having a first tranche of P4,000 distributed early in March, just before the May polls, Rama was recognizing  the power of gratitude in exchange for votes.  Not just the votes of elders, but that of their grateful families.

But as conference  delegates pointed out,  more is needed to improve the lives of the country’s seniors who can still lead productive lives.

One  example is the recently departed keeper of the Sinulog beat Estelita “Nang Titang” Diola, who taught generations of dancers including her nieces and nephews the Sinulog dance and beat well into her sunset years.

It was only this year that Diola was unable to join the annual Sinulog festival after a bad fall caused her to become bed-ridden.  Despite complications of diabetes and pneumonia, she  soldiered on and shared everything she had with her remaining family.

There are many other examples of the invaluable service and wisdom of seniors in the community.

Dr. Romulo Davide, last year’s Ramon Magsaysay awardee,  pioneered  the farmer-scientist  training program in Cebu province and continues his advocacy of empowering farmers to convert the country into an agricultural power in Asia.

Health and medical costs remain a priority.  Keeping the Cebu City Medical Center open and empowered is a major service as most of the population of elderly in Cebu City are hard up, even impoverished. (Titang Diola, who lived in a simple house in Mabolo, was hospitalized there.)

Seniors also remain an undertapped source of wisdom and volunteer spirit. It’s up to local officials and stakeholders to build up that resource for the community.