"This could be President Duterte’s legacy."
"This could be President Duterte’s legacy."
In earlier columns, I proposed that President Duterte should prioritize the building of homes for the elderly, the disabled, the sick and neglected segments of society especially among the poor. These homes, of course, should be fully staffed with doctors, nurses and other health workers. This is actually the third portion of my advocacy.
I am proposing this in the wake of findings by the Demographic Research and Development Foundation Inc. that the elderly has become the fastest-growing sector of the country, accounting for seven percent of the population. This sector is projected to increase to 16 percent by 2045.
Santa Banana, since the population of the country is now more than 110 million, 16 percent is a large number equivalent to about 20 million!
Based on the foundation’s 2018 longitudinal study of aging and health in the Philippines, nearly half (47 percent) of older people in the country are beneficiaries of the P500-monthly social pension provided by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
Meanwhile, the DSWD National Household Targeting Data revealed that as of 2016 there were already about 277,000 poor people with disability. This includes those sick with dementia, which includes Alzheimer’s Disease.
By any standard, President Duterte should prioritize building homes for these poor people, who in their productive years also contributed to society. In earlier columns, I said this could be President Duterte’s lasting legacy when he steps down from the presidency 17 months from now. History will not forget this.
I also proposed that the more affluent LGUs like Quezon City, Makati, Manila could build such homes in cooperation with taipans and conglomerates in the pursuit of their Corporate Social Responsibility. These homes will have complete staff support.
My gulay, these homes could become self-sustaining. The Philippines can even set an example among its Asian neighbors and go down in history as a nation that cares for the aged!
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I agree with the need for people to strictly observe health protocols and other guidelines amid the upsurge of new COVID-19 cases.
But for the police to prohibit the display of affection among lovers and even husband and wife is just absurd.
For one thing, lovers may be holding hands as a show of affection, but they do not go around kissing and necking in public —that is just not a Filipino way. It’s when lovers are by themselves that they do intimate shows of affection. So do husbands and wives.
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VIPs and some public officials are said to jump the line in getting vaccinated. This is quite disturbing.
Why do they believe they are privileged? President Duterte should hold them accountable—arrest them if needed!
The priority for the vaccination is very clear—health workers, which means doctors, nurses, and other frontliners. They are constantly exposed to the virus.
In this connection, it is the responsibility of the vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. to ensure that the list of recipients is observed, without exception.
I know the character of some public officials who believe they are privileged. Still, considering the fact that the country has been getting limited doses of vaccines (so far only from Sinovac from China and AstraZeneca from the United Kingdom), the priority list should be strictly observed.
The fact that the vaccination rollout has come out short is something that the Duterte administration must attend to right away. We are a long way from herd immunity.