With the imminent enactment into law of the creation of the National Commission of Senior Citizens, a lawmaker has asked the Department of Social Welfare and Development to lay the ground work for its operation at the soonest time.
Senior Citizen party-list Rep. Francisco Datol said the commission has a P520 million allocation in the 2019 national budget under the Office of the President.
"Most probably, by the third or fourth quarter of this year, the seniors' commission would be operational. The search for appointees to the commission can begin now," said Datol, vice chairman of the House Senior Citizens committee.
“Unlike like most agency charters, this law has six commissioners to represent different geographical regions."
Datol said the choice of executive director will be crucial because he or she will be in charge of its operations and implementation.
"This commission is an opportunity to show that seniors still have some of the best years of their lives ahead of them— that they can serve in the commission and urgently take action on their constituents' concerns," Datol said.