Ms. Genia Reyes Eclarino outlined issues affecting the welfare of senior citizens in Olongapo, and her plan for an educational senior citizens center, after visiting the Kobe Silver College during the AUICK workshop program.

1. The City

Olongapo is a medium-sized port city on the Northeast coast of Subic Bay in the Philippines, covering 185 km². In 2007, its total population was 227,270, of which 5.0% were aged 60 years and above. Family sizes are quite large, averaging 4.8 persons per household, and it is seen as a basic duty of the family to take care of its elderly members, while the government designs programs of social security. Urbanization and modernization have affected the capacity of the family to support and care for the elderly though, bringing declining family sizes, migration of family members and the increasing number of working women. 

The City Government of Olongapo promotes the elevation of the role of senior citizens from passive beneficiaries to self-reliant, highly motivated and participating citizens, aiming to harness their contributions as a local and national resource, and ensure that future generations benefit from a program of life-long preparation for productive aging. 

Active older citizens raising awareness and funds in Olongapo

The rights and welfare of senior citizens and their empowerment are promoted through policies, programs, projects and services implemented with or through local government units, non-government and people’s organization’s, national government agencies and other members of civil society. An integrated and comprehensive approach to health development endeavors to make essential goods, health, and other social services available to all people at affordable costs, with priority on the needs of the underprivileged, sick, disabled, abandoned and homeless. 

The United Nations principles of independence, participation, care, self-fulfillment and dignity for older persons are adopted and disseminated as a guide for Olongapo City, to provide support for the aged. 

The city’s welfare facilities for the aged include The Center for Women, which provides twenty-four hour services to develop physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being; three social welfare facilities for the aged who are homeless and have no relatives to take care of them; and the currently planned ‘Home for the Aged, Abandoned, Sick, Unattached and Homeless’. Assistance is provided to families caring for the aged to reaffirm the valued Filipino tradition of caring for senior citizens, and the City Government of Olongapo is also enjoining all private, commercial and government establishments, to provide senior citizens with priority payment facilities. 

Socio-recreational activities are organized for the elderly in Olongapo. These include cooking contests, fund-raising walks and festivals. Health care activities arranged include nutrition lectures, medical and dental checks and eye-care. Spiritual activities number livelihood and skills training, voluntary activity participation and home visits and counseling to those with specific needs. Furthermore, all senior citizens are given benefits and special privileges, and provided with a 20% discount on food, medicines, hospitalization, transportation and other expenses on services. Direct humanitarian assistance is afforded to the abandoned, sick, disabled, and the displaced, unattached and homeless.

The presence of different organizations has proved to be an effective approach in trying to raise awareness about aged issues. Despite the scarcity of resources, the city government is committed to serving its senior citizens, and all 60 year-old residents are encouraged to join senior citizen organizations, regardless of gender, education, religion, economic or social status. Overall, the City of Olongapo had shown its commitment to providing the basic services for vulnerable groups, specifically the aged, in promoting safe, structured institutions to nurture homeless, abandoned, sick, disabled and displaced elderly. This is to give them the opportunity to learn positive skills, and the capacity to become responsible and productive members of society.

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1. The Proposed Action Plan

As the person in charge of promoting the rights and welfare of elderly citizens in Olongapo, Ms. Genia Reyes Eclarino’s Action Plan is to establish a new senior citizens center in the vein of the Silver College, which she visited as part of the workshop program (see p.10). 

A private entity in Olongapo has already donated land for the construction of a club building, and the plan aims to maximize the potentials of elderly citizens by initiating, developing and implementing activity and livelihood programs to create opportunities to generate or supplement their income.

Links will also be established with public and private offices, colleges, the private sector, NGOs, POs, civic and religious health care organizations, professional advice services, volunteer training and community self-help projects, for active participation by the elderly. 

If employment opportunities are established in the area, the provision of relevant training opportunities to maximize the potential of the aged will make them both physically and economically active, as well as increasing their independence and socio-cultural development. 

After an advocacy campaign through radio, TV and newspapers, capable senior citizens, volunteers and other offices will be allocated to participate in the operation of the center. Then, after legislation and fund sourcing, the links will be established with civic and private organizations. Data support for the project will come through an ongoing community based Management Information System (MIS), facilitated by AUICK, to gather data on the local aged population. The center will add to the 30 such organizations which are already established in the 17 Baranguay districts of Olongapo.

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Olongapo Time Frame: November 2008 – March 2010

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