ILOILO – Massage, manicure and pedicure, haircut – all for free.
Around 300 elderly residents of the province have availed themselves of these services at the Casa Real de Iloilo (old provincial capitol) on General Luna Street.
The activity dubbed Project ART, which means “Atipanon kag Respetuhon ang mga Tigulang” (Care for and Respect the Elderly), provided free pampering to senior citizens.
A psychosocial activity was also held to allow senior citizens to open up about their problems, said Dr. Neneth Pador, head of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO).
The PSWDO and the Federation of Senior Citizens of Iloilo initiated the May 31 activities.
The provincial government allotted P80,000 for Project ART this year. The project started in 2016.
Considering the huge number of senior citizens in the province – PSWDO records showed there were around 50,000 – the beneficiaries were picked by their respectively local governments, Pador clarified.
Each local government sent five beneficiaries, she said.
There are 42 municipalities and one component city in Iloilo City.
But the PSWDO wants to reach more beneficiaries.
Pador said they plan to ask Provincial Board member Liecel Mondejar-Seville to push for an ordinance institutionalizing the project.
Seville of the 2nd District is the chairwoman of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Committee on Social Welfare, Housing, Senior Citizens, and Disabled./PN
