An Assessment of the implementation of Republic Act No. 9994: The expanded senior citizens Act of 2010 in Makati City

• Main Author: Puruganan, Lolita Shaila B.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2014
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/4608
• Institution: De La Salle University

Population ageing has been a major demographic development in the latter part of the 20th century. A fundamental concern is the increasing needs of older persons as the chronicity of illnesses becomes apparent with associated health management implications, the changing traditional family structure which compromises elderly caregiving, and inaccessibility to formal social protection measures leaving them in a state of vulnerability. The passage of the Senior Citizens Act in 1992 (amended in 2003 and 2010) was designed to address their basic needs by providing benefits and privileges in healthcare, income, social assistance, food, personal enhancement and leisure activities. This study focuses on how R.A. 9994: The Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010 is implemented in the city of Makati case focusing on three objectives: 1) review of the provisions of R.A. 9994: The Expanded Senior Citizens Act in terms of its viability in meeting the needs of the poor; 2) assessment of its implementation (operational, financial and administrative) based on the knowledge and interpretation of the law by involved Makati city officials; and 3) perspectives and knowledge of the elderly regarding the process and implications on adequacy of provisions in meeting their needs. Findings suggest that the provisions of R.A. 9994 lack inclusiveness to encompass the needs of the poor, viability in terms of meeting and dealing with the circumstances of the poor, affordability in terms of financial capacity to purchase items despite discount, and adequacy in provision of their basic needs particularly healthcare. The citys implementation capacity is limited due to problems in organizational structure (overlapping and nebulous functions), inability to disseminate information on R.A. 9994 to concerned elderly and lack of monitoring and reporting. The Senior Citizens Act was subsumed under the social programs of Makati city. The study provided policy recommendations to amend R.A. 9994 to adequately address the needs of the poor and enhance the capacity of local governments to implement the programs according to provisions as well as institute policy changes that would accommodate the actual needs of its poor elderly constituents.