Invoking the late Nelson Mandela’s concern for the elderly, the oldest member of the House of Representatives has decried the ‘digital and social exclusion’ of Filipino senior citizens from government services.
‘In this age of digital transformation, many elderly Filipinos are left behind,’ 83-year-old Rep. Salvador Pleyto Sr. of Bulacan’s 6th district lamented in a privilege speech on Wednesday.
Pleyto cited as example the ‘online’ transactions imposed by government financing institutions, like the Social Security System for about 23 million private sector workers and the Government Service Insurance System for 1.6 million government employees.
‘Without assistance, many senior citizens are unable to access these services, cutting them off from opportunities and benefits that are rightfully theirs,’ Pleyto said.
He pointed out that members have to make sure that they have phones with Wi-Fi and have downloaded the apps of the agencies before they can receive their ‘reduced pension.’
‘But how about the seniors who live in far-flung and very remote areas in the country that do not have cellular phones and can’t even get any Wi-Fi signal? Will this stop their pension? Or do they still have to go on a long trip to the provinces and cities if only to get their pension?’ he asked.
Reminding House members of Mandela’s resentment of discrimination, Pleyto quoted the late African leader: ‘A society that does not value its older people denies its roots and endangers its future.’
The Elderly Filipino Week was observed in the country from Oct. 1 to 7.
‘Their hands once toiled to feed the younger generation, their wisdom continues to guide, and their sacrifices made us what we are today,’ Pleyto said as he appealed to fellow lawmakers to act decisively to improve the welfare of senior citizens.
Describing many of the elderly as ‘living their twilight years in poverty, illness and neglect,’ Pleyto pressed for stronger social protection and medical support for senior citizens, noting four key challenges they face: poverty, lack of access to healthcare, social neglect and digital exclusion.