Senator Risa Hontiveros has filed a bill that will create a ‘one-stop’ dedicated public hospital that will service the health needs, free of charge, of the country’ growing number of senior citizens as the country faces a surge in COVID-19 cases.

Hontiveros recently filed Senate Bill No. 2086, which mandates the creation of the Philippine Geriatric Center, which will become the national referral hospital for senior citizens with major health concerns, especially those from poor and near-poor families. She added that the bill was an “urgent necessity” now that cases of COVID-19 are on the rise yet again, which she says can prove to be “fatal for many more seniors.”

“Kung mayroon pong Heart Center at Lung Center, ngayon po magtatayo na tayo ng Philippine Geriatric Center o Lolo at Lola’t Center na magbibigay ng libreng gamutan sa ating mga lolo at lola na magkakaroon ng COVID-19 at ibang pangkaraniwang sakit gaya ng high blood pressure, diabetes at cancer,” Hontiveros said.

“Kailangan nating saluhin yung kalusugan ng mga lolo’t lola natin na lalong nahihirapan dahil sa pandemya. Ang pinakabulnerable natin ang dapat top priority. Dapat hindi na sila ma-stress sa mga bayarin para sa mga tulad nito dahil may karapatan din sila sa kalusugan,” she added.

The senator explained that the measure will transform and upgrade the existing National Center for Geriatric Health in Manila into the Philippine Geriatric Center, which will now be a “tertiary specialty hospital” that will provide quality medical services to the elderly, including prevention, diagnosis, treatment, care and rehabilitation.

She said that medical expenses of senior citizens in the new Philippine Geriatric Center will be subsidized and covered by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth). “Dito po ilalaan ang pondo galing sa Philhealth, para kahit sinong lolo o lola, mula sa kahit saang bahagi ng bansa, ay makakaasang matutulungan ng bagong ospital na ito. Mapa-cancer or simpleng check up man, hindi na kailangang mag-alala sa bayarin si lolo at lola,” she said.

According to Hontiveros, the country is in immense need of a well-equipped and dedicated health facility for the country’s growing population of senior citizens, who are more vulnerable to infectious and deadly diseases like COVID-19.

“Our health system must be prepared to take care of a larger number of senior citizens. The Commission on Population and Development itself reported that as of 2021, we now have more than 10 million lolos and lolas in the country. In less than 5 years we will transition to an aging population, and we must be ready to support them, ” she said.

“This hospital for our lolos and lolas will be free of charge, since the reality is, most senior citizens cannot afford proper healthcare. Only 55 percent of Filipino senior citizens receive a monthly pension, and only 16 percent of them receive a monthly pension that is higher than P500,” Hontiveros added.

The measure mandates an initial public funding of P100 million to help start the Philippine Geriatric Center’s operations. Local government units will be also required to start a unified coordination system with the new hospital so senior citizens from all over the country can avail of the hospital’s services.

“Huwag natin pabayaan ang ating mga lolo at lola ngayon sila naman ang may kailangan ng ating tulong. It is important that we give back to our senior citizens by subsidizing and giving importance to their health needs,” Hontiveros concluded.