Seniors could do well as history tour guides, says elderly solon

How about tapping the services of senior citizens as local guides in tours about history and culture?

Senior Citizen Party-list Rep. Francisco Gamboa Datol Jr. made this pitch Sunday even as he argued that many elderly Filipinos are still physically and mentally capable of such task.

“Semi-retirement as part-time local history and culture specialists is a viable livelihood option for many seniors who are still physically-able and whose minds are still sharp,” said Datol, who is vice chairman of the House Committee on Senior Citizens.

Datol noted that many senior citizens can still lead productive, active lives, and that they can do so by working as experts in local history and culture tours.

“This can be implemented by the Department of Tourism, Department of Interior and Local Government, and National Commission of Senior Citizens all over the country,” said the senior lawmaker.

The party-list congressman also state universities and colleges (SUCs) should also do their best to record the local history of the cities, towns, and provinces where they are based – by interviewing local senior citizens.

“Senior citizens lived through history. They are walking and living encyclopedias of local history. Their testimony, when preserved in video interviews, theses, and dissertations, will deepen their outreach linkages, academic research, and contribution to the nurturing of Philippine history and culture,” Datol said.

“Special consultants dapat ang turing sa senior citizens na tutulong bilang local history witnesses (Senior citizens should be treated as special consultants being local witnesses to history),” he concluded.