The city government should exert extra efforts to cater to the needs of the elderly, former Davao City lawmaker Karlo Nograles said on Thursday, “as a city should be able to take care of its most vulnerable sectors.”
Speaking to senior citizens in a community outreach activity, Nograles said that “a government is only as good as it treats its most vulnerable sectors, because they are the ones who need the most help. Kaya ang mga vulnerable sector gaya ng mga senior citizen, dapat hindi na pinahihirapan lalo na sa pag-avail ng services ng city hall.”
Government support such as financial aid, relief and holiday packages should be done in a manner that would not endanger the elderly, Nograles said.
Besides digitalizing the city government’s operations, the former chair of the Civil Service Commission underscored the need for door-to-door and community hub services to prevent unnecessarily inconveniencing the elderly.
In particular, Nograles emphasized the role that having well-equipped health centers could play in ensuring that senior citizens have easier access to health services, thus encouraging them to pay more attention to their health and wellbeing.
Meanwhile, forms of government support such as financial aid, relief and holiday packages should be done in a manner that would not endanger the elderly, Nograles said.
“Ang ayuda, kung hindi kayang gawin na door-to-door, dapat sa mismong komunidad na ginagawa. At dapat, makatao ang kondisyon ng mga area kung saan ginagawa ang distribution ng mga ito. Dapat nasa lilim at may mga electric fan, tubig, maayos na palikuran, at naka-standby na medical service.”
Nograles also noted the need for the city to be “more elderly and PWD-friendly” by strengthening inclusive mobility, especially in public spaces.
He stressed that “Davao should be aiming to be a leading city in terms of inclusivity in mobility. We must thoroughly inspect private establishments in our city to ensure that they comply with PWD accessibility laws that require provisions for ramps and elevators, among others.”
“As for public spaces under the purview of the local government, we will move aggressively so that our walkways, public transportation, public buildings and the like are accessible to seniors and PWDs. Kung gusto nila lolo at lola gumala, dapat hindi maging hadlang ang public transportation o ang ating mga sidewalk.”
