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Plans for poor's retirement home set


BAGUIO CITY, Philippines - Like abandoned street children, the number of abandoned elderly left out in the streets is increasing. "We see a changing landscape. The younger ones are no longer interested in taking care of the elderly," City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) Officer Betty Fangasan said. She observed that many of the cases they have handled are those of persons who were lost and whose relatives or their own children do not bother in finding them. Over the past several years, the CSWD's Silungan Center served as temporary shelter for abandoned elderly. But because the building was not specially designed as a home-for-the aged, they are later brought to the government-run home-for-the-aged Golden Acres in Quezon City. "We understand that caring for them is difficult and would require stretching your patience some more, but let us not abandon them, after all they took care of us when we too could not care for ourselves," Fangasan appealed. In response, the City Government has allotted P10 million for the construction of a home-for-the-aged at government property in Irisan barangay. Baguio Representative Mauricio Domogan also committed to allot additional funds for the facility but the plan is still pending because the building's masterplan is not yet complete. The CSWD's plan of constructing a home-for-the aged is in response to memorandum of its central office of the need to decentralize institutions such as these shelters. However, Fangasan stressed that sending the elderly in shelters should be the last option for families. She said those who have the means should be responsible and care for their parents. A group of retired employees, the Blessed Association of Retired Persons (Barp) meanwhile, tied-up with the St. Joseph retirement home in Bolinao, Pangasinan for the referral of abandoned elderly. Barp president Ferdie Balanag said the group also plans to establish a shelter for the elderly but this remains in the drawing board since a lot still has to be identified. The Philippine Retirement Authority has committed to assist the group in establishing of the shelter, prompting another Barp officer Narciso Padilla to ask for more donors. - Sun.Star Baguio
Tags: pension
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