The Department of Social Welfare and Development 6 (DSWD-6) recognized senior citizens as partners in implementation of social development programs especially in promoting Filipino values and strong family ties.

DSWD-6 director Ma. Evelyn Macapobre said the social importance of elderly in the family life could not be underestimated because the family is the basic structure in which the individual traditionally learns his or her social role.

“I want to remove the bad impressions labeled to elderly for being helpless, dependent, ailing and less competent but instead I want it to be reversed. That is why your participation should therefore be encouraged and developed,” Macapobre said in her speech during the Awarding of Centenarians 2014 and Elderly Filipino Week Culminating Activity at the Iloilo Grand Hotel on Monday.

Macapobre also urged Local Government Units (LGUs) to make their own initiatives by creating different services and programs that could benefit and encourage the active participation of all the senior citizens in the region.

She said LGUs could encourage and sustain the participation of elderly by providing access to education and training in new technologies, disseminate information about facilities and services available for them, made them aware of the existence of a growing voluntary sector and should help this sector connect with opportunities by facilitating exchanges of information between those who wish to offer their services to potential beneficiaries.

Macapobre added that LGUs should also encourage the involvement of more senior citizens in the decision-making process, raising awareness among those involved in the media and advertising worlds as well as other opinion of the need for an image of senior citizens that is close to reality and more positive.

More importantly, Macapobre stressed that LGUs need to ensure the protection of senior citizens against physical abuse, abuse of trust and psychological ill treatment.

“We have so many things to fix in the implementation of Expanded Senior Citizens Act because it is mandatory that five percent of the total budget of the LGU will go to the senior citizens”, she said.

On her part, Lucila Sobremisana, 100-year-old, of Brgy. Cabilawan, New Lucena, Iloilo said she is very thankful to DSWD for prioritizing and giving them the chance to participate in many activities.

Sobremisana said she is now enjoying the different privileges offered to them especially the 20 percent discount on her medicines, medical, dental, transport fares and restaurants.

In the region, the program covers 21, 164 indigent senior citizens under Social Pension program. This includes 242 indigent senior citizens whoa are survivors of typhoon Yolanda.( DSWD-6/Montesa Griño-Caoyonan)