Iloilo City expands free medicines, youth literacy programs

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

ILOILO CITY — The Iloilo City government has launched a free maintenance medicine program for senior citizens and people with disabilities while expanding its literacy campaign through the distribution of thousands of storybooks.

The city launched the MediSen+ Program on Aug. 3 to provide free maintenance medicines to eligible senior citizens and people with disabilities.

The city allocated PHP 20 million for medicines used to manage hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, and other chronic medical conditions.

Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu said the initiative aims to ease the financial burden on senior citizens and people with disabilities who require regular medication.

“When we go down to the barangays, we ask what are the major concerns of the senior citizens and they want to enter into pension but there are qualifications. We also reviewed what they needed and the number one usually is medicines so we launched the MediSen+,” she said.

Beneficiaries may register through barangay sign-up caravans or at their respective barangay health stations and health centers.

The City Health Office will validate their prescriptions before medicines are released.

Beneficiaries may claim their medicines monthly from any of the city’s nine district health centers.

Those consulting private physicians may also use the program after presenting their latest prescriptions for validation.

Treñas-Chu said the city would conduct house-to-house visits for bedridden senior citizens and people with disabilities.

The visits will allow them to receive medicines and medical assessments at home.

She said the city also plans to expand facilities at the Physical Rehabilitation Center while continuing to provide free rehabilitation services to stroke patients.

City records show that Iloilo has more than 40,000 registered senior citizens, including 9,000 local pensioners, up from 7,000 previously.

Treñas-Chu said the sign-up caravan would help the city determine how much funding would be needed for the program next year.

The assessment will establish the actual number of beneficiaries and their medication requirements.

The current PHP 20 million allocation covers only this year’s implementation.

“We will make sure to incorporate it in our budget for next year,” she said.

MediSen+ forms part of the city’s broader health initiatives to improve access to essential medicines and preventive services, particularly for vulnerable residents requiring long-term treatment.

Meanwhile, the city government received 3,300 storybooks from Jollibee on Tuesday for distribution to more than 200 Early Childhood Care and Development centers and public libraries across Iloilo City.

The turnover was held during the Community Relations Reading Program at the Plaza Libertad Outdoor Library.

The collection includes five storybook titles designed to teach Filipino values such as honesty, respect, generosity, responsibility, and environmental stewardship.

Treñas-Chu joined children from the Talatapan Child Development Center in a storytelling session.

She emphasized that early reading and values formation are essential to children’s development.

Treñas-Chu said the donation would help address challenges in promoting literacy as many children spend more time using gadgets than reading books.

She said accessible and engaging reading materials are key to helping children develop lifelong reading habits.

“This is a big help in encouraging our children to read because the books cover a wide range of stories and lessons about family, values and everyday life. Having more books available in our outdoor library will inspire more children to develop a love for reading,” she said.

Plaza Libertad became the site of the city’s first outdoor library in June 2025.

The city has since expanded the outdoor library initiative to other public plazas to provide free and accessible reading spaces.

The city government continues to work with private organizations to expand access to books and promote early childhood education alongside its health and social welfare programs.