HATING to be perceived social burdens, the country senior citizens are mapping for a “last hurrah.”
And if their blueprint snowballs, they can kiss goodbye their tiresome complaints on denied privileges.
“We’re eyeing P210 M in annual funds we can use to buy eyeglasses, hearing aids, crutches, wheel chairs and dialysis machines for senior citizens. This should unburden local governments,” Capt. Antonio Oppus said during a press conference at the Miravilla recently.
Oppus, a Baclayanon former manager of the Mactan International Airport Authority came home to Bohol to retire, only to find out that the dire situation confronting the country’s aging citizens.
Meeting the press here in Bohol Thursday, July 10 after the National anti Poverty Commission (NAPC) Senior Citizen’s sector held their the country’s sectoral council meeting, Oppus, who admitted he is not even a member of the Federation of Senior Citizens of the Philippines (FSCAP) added the move should take issue of senior citizens from the government’s list of worries.
The catch in the Oppus plan however is for the country’s five million senior citizens to rally behind the sectoral party enough to propel three representatives who could get at least P70M each in pork barrel.
“We are launching in Bohol Kapulongan sa mga Katigulangan Pilipino (KKP) or the Senior Citizen’s Party, Philippines (SC-P) as our first step in availing of the P210 annual funding to serve our needs,” Engr. Felix Abella, Visayas FSCAP President said.
The move should be able to solve the nagging issue of being denied the mandatory 20% discounts on medicines, slowly empower the aging citizens to still be productive, put up enough livelihood support for the old but still capable, agreed NAPC Sectoral council representative Pedro Marcelo, during the press meeting.
By this, he also believed that the leaders can significantly improve the fiscal position of the country’s top federation of senior citizens and not just back-ride on the NAPC.
Here is also the need presenting itself as an imperative on strengthening the party system, which we failed in the past due to lack of coordination, Labangon Cebu Barangay Chairman Felix Abella added. Abella sits as the regional FSCAP President in the Visayas.
Oppus, upon presenting the plan, was joined by Abella, who also committed to spearhead advocacy in the region.
The idea came when I visited the Baclayon Social Welfare Officer and was told that the senior citizens are always dependent on the mercy and good graces of the local government officials, he shared.
As per Commission on Elections, Oppus said a party only needs to muster at least 330 thousand votes to send a representative in Congress. At the present number of retirees and aging citizens, it would not be hard to generate a million votes to propel three representatives to Congress. With P70 M annual pork, were talking here of 210M to be prorated and given to the country’s 3 regions.
By that time, we do not even have to ask for the 1% mandatory share of the Internal Revenue Allotments (IRA) as benefit from the LGUs, as we can easily remove the senior citizens from the country’’s problems, Boholano Oppus said. (rachiu/PIA)