THE measure establishing the National Geriatric Center moved closer to enactment following the ratification of the Conference Committee Report at the House of Representatives on Tuesday.
The ratification is a step forward in fulfilling a promise, Speaker Faustino “Bojie” G. Dy III made during the necrological service for the late Batanes Rep. Ciriaco Gato Jr., who chaired the House Committee on Health.
“Ipagpapatuloy ng Kongreso ang inyong sinimulan at pinasa natin sa 20th Congress: ang panukalang maitatag ang Dr. Eva Macaraeg-Macapagal National Center of Geriatric Health and Research Institute (DEMM-NCGHRI), an institution that will provide specialized healthcare for the senior citizens of our country,” Speaker Dy had said.
Dy in his eulogy said the enactment of the measure would be among Rep. Gato’s important legacies as a legislator and physician: “to make sure that when a Filipino needs care, health is there.”
The Speaker also committed to ensuring that the center would be able to provide the healthcare services needed by senior citizens.
“Titiyakin natin na kapag naitatag ang DEMM-NCGHRI, maibibigay nito ang pangangailangang pangkalusugan at nararapat sa ating mga senior citizens,” Dy said.
The DEMM-NCGHRI is envisioned to ensure the availability of medical facilities and equipment for senior citizens requiring acute and sub-acute care, geriatric palliative care, outpatient care and transitional care services.
It would also provide specialized clinical, public health and operations research, as well as training programs using a multidisciplinary or multicenter approach.
United Senior Citizens Party-list Rep. Mila Aquino-Magsaysay, one of the House members appointed to reconcile differing provisions in House Bill 6739 and Senate Bill 1509, said the measure responds to the growing number of senior citizens in the country.
“The longitudinal study on ageing and health … confirmed that the country’s elderly population continues to increase with longer life expectancy… Foremost among Filipino citizens’ concerns is their health status and well-being,” said Aquino-Magsaysay.
Quezon City Rep. Ma. Victoria Co-Pilar and Leyte Rep. Christopher “Coco” Yap both pointed to the growth of the senior population as a demographic shift that requires the government to prepare for the changing healthcare needs of Filipinos.
“Projections suggest that by 2030, one in every five Filipinos will be a senior citizen,” Co-Pilar said, adding that such a shift would require a public health infrastructure equipped to care for this segment of the population.
Co-Pilar described the measure as a forward-looking and compassionate response to the evolving needs of senior citizens and an affirmation of the government’s commitment “to ensure that Filipino senior citizens age with health, care and respect.”
For Yap, the passage of the measure is a critical step toward building an age-ready and equitable health system.
The House delegation that participated in the Conference Committee to reconcile provisions of the geriatric health measure was led by Rep. Gato, with Reps. Aquino-Magsaysay, Munir Arbison Jr., Agatha “Agay” Cruz, Marlesa “Doc Marty” Hofer-Hasim, Girlie Veloso and Audrey Zubiri as members.
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