Mindanaotoday.com | NCSC hears out sector to uphold senior citizens’ rights, welfare
By: Jan Albert Araña
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Senior citizens’ rights and welfare are now a top priority as the newly created National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) conducts consultation activities with various senior citizen associations in the country, such as the 1st Joint NCSC-Federation of Senior Citizen Associations of the Philippines Summit Region 10, November 14-15, here.
Created under Republic Act No. 11350 signed by former President Rodrigo Duterte on July 25, 2019, the commission ensures that the rights and welfare of senior citizens are protected, and with the conduct of a joint summit between the commission and the federation of the senior citizen association, the commission assures all elderly that their concerns and inputs are considered in drafting policies and guidelines to ensure that they will be protected.
“This activity is part of the continuing consultation process that we are holding. We want to get the whole picture as a new commission created under Republic Act 11350 signed into law in July 2019. We would like to get all the necessary information so that we would be able to set the direction, and formulate policies and guidelines for the development of the elderly sector,” says NCSC Commissioner Edwin Espejo.
Espejo added that the commission is primarily a policy-making body with programs and capacity-building focused on the senior citizen sector of the country.
Further, he said they are also lobbying in Congress for legislation that would benefit and further enhance the protection of senior citizens.
Aside from that, all the functions and services of the DSWD for senior citizens will then be transferred to the commission as part of their mandate.
With the conduct of the nationwide summit, NCSC hopes to gather all information they need to guide them as they move forward as the government responds to the needs and concerns of the senior citizens.
The commissioner says they are doing all the necessary steps to be of service to the senior citizens, accommodating their needs and prioritizing their welfare.
NCSC urges the family members of senior citizens to have the latter be registered in the commission’s database by simply visiting https://www.ncsc.gov.