Bacolod opens PHP 3.3M senior citizen center

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY — The city government has unveiled a one-stop service center to provide accessible, compassionate, and comprehensive services for its elderly residents.

City officials led by Mayor Greg Gasataya inaugurated the newly improved PHP 3.3 million Senior Citizen Center at the annex building of the Bacolod City Government Center on Monday, along with department heads, city executives, barangay officials, and representatives.

“It is proper and fitting to establish this center so our seniors will have a place to go,” Gasataya said, assuring senior citizens that their needs will be accommodated.

Gasataya said senior citizens no longer need to travel from one office to another to access government services.

“We hope and pray that starting today, you will feel you are special in Bacolod City,” he added.

The center houses key services under the Office for Senior Citizens Affairs, including social assistance programs such as Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations, social and ladderized pension programs, and the processing of senior citizen identification cards in accordance with Republic Act No. 9994, or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.

Health services available at the center include medical consultations, free medicines, dental checkups and extractions, nutrition counseling, and the provision of free eyeglasses in partnership with the City Health Office.

To further promote comfort and wellness, the facility is equipped with two massage beds exclusively for senior citizens.

Beyond social and health services, the facility also promotes active aging and economic participation through livelihood programs such as food processing, handicrafts, and other income-generating activities.

The City Tourism Office also contributed by providing information services, organizing cultural and wellness activities, and creating a welcoming environment where senior citizens can engage, learn, and relax.

“We know that they usually visit their barangay halls every day, especially when concerns arise such as medication and other needs,” Gasataya said.

The establishment of the Senior Citizen Center was among the priorities of the present administration and was implemented through Executive Order No. 1.

Former Bacolod Mayor Monico Puentevella emphasized that the significance of the center extends beyond the building itself.

During the ceremony, Gasataya also announced that senior citizens aged 65 and older who are not receiving any social pension from local or national government programs will receive 10 kilograms of rice every month for four months beginning this week.