Arquiza Bares Plans Beneficial To The Welfare Of Senior Citizens By Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.

Maasin City, Southern Leyte- Senior Citizens Partylist Representative Godofredo V. Arquiza during his recent visit here in this small city has bared his plans for the general welfare and protection of the strong 7.5M senior citizens throughout the country. In a presscon held at the Villa Romana Hotel (tel.no. (053)381-0639) Arquiza enumerated his landmarked plans to be enacted into laws. 1)Caregivers of centenarians senior citizens who were mostly not related by blood shall be receiving P500,000.00 for their jobs; 2)To have special polling places for senior citizens, disabled and pregnant women in every election; 3)To provide senior citizens who are afflicted with cancer free medicines; 4)The protection of the elderly against violence.; 5)Constructions of geriatric hospitals in every city if possible; 6)Filing a bill already in its third reading entitled Elder Abuse which has 4 categories. Namely: a)psychological abuse-like improper scolding or reprimanding from any member of the family; b)financial abuse-getting or asking money for his maintenance medicines and foods; c)life abuse-like some daughters giving up their mothers or fathers; d)neglect and abandonment-self-explanatory. Already in effect is RA994 giving senior citizens 20% discount (shoulder by the drugstores) and 12% VAT discount (sacrifice by the government) in medicines, foods, restauarants, moviehouses, including sea, land and air travel. Theres a plan he said, to lower more the discount of medicines for senior citizens thru a bill called Cheaper Medicine Act. Also in effect is a law giving cash rewards and some products to centenarians. Here in Maasin there were two centenarians like Diosdado Marte, 100 years old of brgy. Manhilo and Gabriel Onor 101 years old from another barangay said newscaster Zaldy Olita.Both were supposed to receive cash awards, he said.But it was only Marte who went to the office of Senior citizens in brgy. Combado and received P5,000.00. Onor who was informed did not come for some unknown reason. On the other hand, Arquiza disclosed that in 2011 a budget of P781M for social pension was approved, Those who have benefited were the 77 years old and above. However, for the current year, the budget was increased to P1.27B.With this budget, he said, it is expected that the age of recipients will go down. Brex Honrada of DSWD provincial office told the press that a total of P1.6M were given to 75 years old and above to indigent senior citizens in the Pacific towns of this province. Honrada suggested to Mr. Senior Citizen that those pensioners who received less than five thousands pesos be included in the monthly social pensions from the government. Broadcast journalist Ramon Boyser also urged the partylist representative to pass a bill retaining the monthly pension of widows, even if they desire to re-marry. Taking away the widows monthly pensions will jeopardize their financial support, particularly if they have re-married the poor ones, principally because of love and compatibility.

Arquiza further revealed that in the US, he learned that medical insurance of Fil-Ams have enjoyed 80% of their contributions to health insurance and that according to President Barak Obama medical insurance of Fil-Ams can be used here in the Philippines.It is a great contrast to the Philippines where PHILHEALTH members can only get 20% of their health contributions, he said. Three Representatives The second termer SC representative also voiced out for the need of three partylist representatives for the upcoming 2013 national elections that would represent the three big islands of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. He pointed out that one representative would find it hard to manage the entire membership of senior citizens in this archipelagic country. We need one in Luzon, one in the Visayas and one in Mindanao, he said, to divide the wide range of coverage for the elderly. He stressed that each partylist representative must have a component office in their respective jurisdictional areas of responsibilities to attend to the concerns of their constituents. Some requirements to those who really wants to serve the senior citizens in the country: 1) Candidates should belong to COMELEC-accredited partylists; 2) Have good track records and have the great desire to really serve the entire senior citizens of the nation; 3) Physically and mentally fit; 4) Nominees must have the financial capabilities to conduct national campaigns with an estimated budget of more or less P20M.P10M funds would not be enough for conducting a national campaign during the election, he said. Nevertheless, the entire senior citizens are hopeful that the aforesaid plans of Arquiza will become realities in the near future. And if he cannot pass all the proposed bills for approval during his last term, concerned senior citizens in the country also hope that whoever is his successor will likewise possessed akin vision, compassion and concerns as to achieve all his unfinished plans into realization.(Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)