SENIOR CITIZENS BADGET

 “Senior citizens in the Philippines have traditionally received due care and concern from the family and the state. To stress this national attitude towards senior citizens, Article XV, Section IV, of the Philippine  Constitution states that, “It is the duty of the family to take care of its older person members while the State may design program of social security for them.” Moreover, Article XIII, Section II, provides that “The State shall adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development which shall endeavor to make essential goods, health and other social services available to all people at affordable cost.”   

There are now at least twenty-one Enabling Philippine Laws on Senior Citizens but there is hardly any EXCEPTIONAL support given to Senior Citizens at the Municipalities level.   Instead, the Spirit of these Laws are put on hold annually by two budgetary worms, namely: 

1).  LACK OF FUNDS

2).  STREAMLINING

The Dark Side of Mainstreaming

The first is a mild worm  since Municipalities are always known to  be Lacking of funds although never short of ways to put loose ends together to realize a surplus at the end of the year.   It is this second worm Mainstreaming that is crippling the senior citizens.  Mainstreaming  is a certificate of immunity in the budget that  protects especially the low-income municipalities to do away with  social reform laws by splitting mandatory and allied expenses and yet gain compliance.  It is like legalizing splitting of contracts.  It is repugnant to reason and inhuman because the direct support and care for the needy is being jeopardized. 

A friend of mine once said he has difficulty understanding why budget appropriation for senior citizens in the first class municipality of Minglanilla has not left ground.  Although his figures may be unofficial, it shows the dark side of mainstreaming.  At 150M pesos (approxi. 2012 annual municipal budget),  Senior Citizens appropriation is seen only at P300,000.00 because the 1.2M pesos (to make up for the 1%) is deemed “inserted” or “included” or “attached” to repairs,  maintenance, etc.  This is the evil of mainstreaming which is exactly like deducting an amount from children’s allowances to help pay for the house water bill.  But why let the children pay for domestic obligations of parents!

Is There True Love in Minglanilla

About ninety-nine percent of the administrative and legislative teams of the municipality are relatives to senior citizens and altogether they are the Minglanillans known for their spirit of charity and love.   But why the darkness?

Personally, I am seeing this as lack of proper planning and coordination, poor feedback, and lack of representation of those concerned - the lead agencies of government, the senior citizens federation, the working committees, and the watch teams in the administrative and legislative offices.  

In the coming season of change where new christs and messiahs could be anointed somehow,  I hope that the Spirit of Love of the Enabling Laws on Senior Citizens for Minglanilla would be restored!