Do senior citizens need birthday cakes and free or discounted film screenings as a reward for their sunset years?
This question came to light due to a Commission on Audit (COA) observation that Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza’s practice of handing out birthday cakes to senior citizens , especially those who reach 100 years old, was an “unnecessary expense.”
The COA questioned the P6.1 million allocated for the birthday cakes, of which P4 million went to a non-government organization that prepares the cakes.
Radaza defended her birthday cake policy as part of her administration’s programs to give “a quality life” to the elderly.
She may have taken a page from the playbook of former Makati City mayor and now Vice President Jejomar Binay who gave birthday cakes to the elderly, not a few of who may be suffering from diabetes and unable to actually eat the desert.
The practice has become more of a political gimmick than anything else.
The Cebu City Council is working on an ordinance that would grant free admission to movie theaters for seniors, and theater and mall owners supposedly expressed support for the initiative.
Cebu City already has the envied reputation among local governments of granting the highest stipend to seniors at P12,000 a year in several installments.
Free movie access would give retirees another reason to move to Cebu City.
It’s a fun gesture, but residents aged 65 years old and above, would have more need for better health care and affordable medicine.
A well-supported Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs with well thought-out programs that keep the elderly active and engaged in the community would be a more meaningful gift.
Geriatric specialists are few and far between in Cebu. Yet their services are sorely needed in the community.
For starters, they recommend that day care centers for the elderly bet put up in communities so there is a safe, friendly place for seniors to meet, socialize and hang out with others of their age and not feel isolated or useless.
Cases of abuse and neglect of old people – some of them stuck at home, out of sight, contrast with the sterotype belief that a Filipino family always takes care of lolo and lola.
Abandonment cases are more common that we think.
The high cost of maintaining an elderly person in good health often intersects with families that don’t properly plan for retirement and the loss of a steady income for one who leaves the job market.
What local government officials should strive to deliver is meaningful service, not just a popular gesture, if they want senior citizens in Cebu to take a place of honor in the community.
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