More councilors back proposed protection for seniors
The proposed ordinance seeking protection for senior citizens in Cebu City gets a boost with the support from other councilors.
City Councilor Rey Gealon told The Freeman that Councilor Pastor “Jun” Alcover, who chairs the senior citizen’s committee, and Councilor Francis Esparis, who chairs the committee on social services, openly manifested their support to the proposed ordinance.
Known as the “Tiguwang Ipahimutang Ordinance, the proposed measure, which defines the abuses against elderlies and provides penalties, is sponsored by Gealon and Councilor Phillip Zafra.
With this, Gealon is positive that this will be approved soon.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines elder abuse as a "single or repeated act or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person.
“This type of violence constitutes violation of human rights and includes physical, sexual, psychological, and emotional abuse; financial and material abuse; neglect and serious loss of dignity and respect,” the proposed ordinance stated.
Data from WHO in 2022 also showed that one in six senior citizens experienced some form of abuse during the past years and cases of abuse are expected to increase in the years to come if not prevented.
Latest Philippine statistics also show that there are about ten million senior citizens all over the country with many of them prone to physical and psychological violence, financial abuse, and neglect as a result of their physical frailty, yearning for companionship, and slower mental faculties.
The proposed ordinance “recognizes these vulnerabilities and aims to uphold the dignity of senior citizens and thereby guarantees full respect for human rights by protecting the senior citizens against discriminatory acts and all forms of violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation, coercion and other acts deleterious to their personal safety and security.”
This also serves as an encouragement to the Filipino families and communities who live, care, and support senior citizens to “reaffirm the valued Filipino tradition of caring for their elderlies” while abuses against them will be “criminalize.” —