Project S.O.S. seen to enhance services for seniors in Mandaue
Senior citizens collect the first tranche of their cash aid for 2024 last April 16.| CDN Digital file photo
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – Mandaue City is implementing a One-Stop-Shop project to further enhance its services for senior citizens.
Called “Project S.O.S” or “Solving Mandaue City’s Ageing Problem Tomorrow, Today,” this will focus on making sustainable services more accessible to the city’s elderly residents.
“Targeted na atoang mga programa because we want to give more dignified [services] to senior citizens,” Atty. August Lizer Malate said.
READ: Senior citizens in Mandaue City receive cash aid
Project S.O.S. was based on a thesis done by Malate, the head of the city’s Business Permit and Licensing Office and Supervising Officer for Senior Citizen, when he was offered a scholarship grant by the Development Academy of the Philippines-Local Government Executive and Managers Class.
READ: Mandaue senior citizens allowance to go up by P2K
“Ang S.O.S, ang mga complaints, issues, recommendations, concerns, it should be one-stop-shop na. Ang system one-stop-shop na. Basically, we’re just strengthening our communication mechanism ngari sa senior citizen,” Malate said.
One-stop-shop
The project will consist of three phases including strengthening the existing organization, creating a functional information management system, and updating the policies tailored to the unique needs and circumstances in Mandaue City.
READ: Senior citizens’ discount: Stirring debate over what’s right, wrong
Under the project, the city will identify the needs of the seniors, health issues affecting them, including their illnesses and the maintenance medicines that they take.
Malate said that they will also collect data on the number of children that they have, their previous work, among others. These data will be encoded and automated and will be made accessible to the different offices at City Hall.
READ: Financial relief for seniors
In addition, seniors will also be tagged based on their geographical location.
Caravan of Services
Moreover, “Project S.O.S.” will be used as blue print for the caravan of services that the city will organize in the coming days, similar to what they did during the distribution of the first tranche of the seniors cash assistance in April.
The city’s caravan of services will include free legal consultation and notarization and free medical and dental consultations, distribution of free eye glasses, haircut, ID application, among others.
At present, Mandaue City has almost 30,000 registered senior citizens. Each year, at least 2, 000 new members are added to the list.
Achievement
On Monday, members of the Mandaue City Council passed a resolution congratulating Malate for starting “Project S.O.S.”
And since the project is still on the first year of its implementation, Malate said this will still be subjected to “improvements and polishing.”
In addition, Malate said that the project is recognized by the Senior Citizen’ Commission that is looking at making Mandaue City’s program as a bench mark tool for other local government units to replicate.
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