By Rjay Zuriaga Castor and Mariela Angella Oladive
Iloilo City’s elderly population now has a dedicated space for social interaction and essential services with the inauguration of the PHP13.5 million Senior Citizen Building in Alta Tierra Village, Barangay M.V. Hechanova, Jaro, on Tuesday, Feb. 4.
The two-story facility, funded by the Senior Citizens Party List, provides a venue for recreation, social engagement, skills training, and services tailored to the needs of the city’s senior citizens.
“This is one of our advocacies in the party list. We want to provide a space for our senior citizens where they can bond and stay active. Keeping busy is essential to aging healthily and avoiding conditions like dementia,” said Senior Citizens Party List Representative Rodolfo “Ompong” Ordanes, who led the inauguration and blessing of the facility.
The project was realized in partnership with the Alta Tierra Homeowners Association, Inc., the Association of Barangay Captains – Jaro District, and the Federation of Senior Citizens Associations of the Philippines – Iloilo City.
This is the third Senior Citizen Building in Iloilo City, complementing existing centers in Barangay PHHC Block 22, Mandurriao, and Barangay Sta. Filomena, Arevalo.
Ordanes also highlighted legislative efforts benefiting senior citizens, such as the removal of the purchase booklet requirement for availing of a 20 percent discount on medicines.
“Now, senior citizens no longer need to worry about forgetting their booklet. If there’s a violation, they can file complaints with their local senior citizens’ office or my office,” Ordanes said.
He also expressed optimism for the passage of the Early Voting Act, allowing senior citizens to vote a week before elections, as well as the Universal Pension and Geriatric Act, which propose monthly pensions for all senior citizens and the establishment of regional geriatric hospitals, respectively.
The center will also serve as a hub for skills training, such as crochet lessons, according to Matilde Treñas, special assistant to Mayor Jerry Treñas.
“We wanted to maximize the use of our senior citizens center. Some of our elderly are just left at home, watching television and waiting for family members. Now, they have something to look forward to,” she said.
Iloilo City has already implemented similar programs in other districts. In Arevalo, senior citizens participate in a “Trash to Cash” program, recycling old boxes into organizers and tissue holders. In Mandurriao, they are trained in rug-making.
In addition to recreational and skills programs, the new center will also assist seniors with services typically provided by the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs at City Hall.