Following the release of the 2018 Longitudinal Study of Aging and Health in the Philippines (LSAHP) that shows an upward trend in the number and percentage of senior citizens in the country, Manila 6th District Rep. Benny Abante, Jr. on Friday urged President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. to include House Bill Number 191 or the Geriatric Health Act among his priority legislative measures to address the needs of an aging Philippine population.
According to the lawmaker, “the establishment of a National Geriatric Health and Research Institute (NCGHRI) and regional geriatric specialty centers in DOH-retained hospitals around the country will be an enduring reminder of the President’s love and concern for our senior citizens.”
Abante said that aside from the obvious benefits of the NCGHRI, “establishing a specialty hospital for the elderly during his tenure in Malacañang will make the Marcos name synonymous with public health care.”
Authored by Abante, HB 191 establishes the NCGHRI, a teaching, research, and training hospital that will specialize in geriatric care and will be attached to the Department of Health (DOH).
Data from the 2018 LSAHP revealed that close to a third of senior citizens surveyed admitted they were sick but unable to see a doctor.
“Habang tumatanda, dumadami ang karamdaman at sakit. That is a reality every senior citizen faces. The President, as a senior citizen himself, surely recognizes this.”
Abante said that aside from the obvious benefits of the NCGHRI, “establishing a specialty hospital for the elderly during his tenure in Malacañang will make the Marcos name synonymous with public health care.”
“Remember, the Philippine Heart Center, Lung Center of the Philippines, the National Kidney Transplant Institute, and even the Philippine Children’s Medical Center were all established during the term of the late President Ferdinand Marcos,” noted the lawmaker.
A measure similar to HB 191 was passed on 3rd reading towards the end of the 18th Congress, but a counterpart measure in the Senate was not tackled due to time constraints.
