LAPID WANTS SENIOR CITIZEN REPRESENTATION IN LOCAL SANGGUNIAN

Senator Manuel "Lito" Lapid is pushing for a senior citizen sectoral representative in all local legislative councilsin order to provide an avenue for the elderly to participate in local governance and legislation.

According to Lapid, there is no better way to address the country's ageing population than to involve our senior citizens in policy-making and agenda setting from the grassroots-level to the highest levels of local governance.

Senate Bill No. 1169, filed by Lapid, provides for the mandatory sectoral representation of senior citizens in all local government legislative councils, from the barangay level up to the provincial sanggunian. The bill aims to institutionalize the presence and voice of senior citizens in the local sanggunian.

Lapid further said that senior citizens can still be productive members of the society and that local government units should involve them more in crafting of local ordinances and local government-led initiatives that cater to their needs and concerns.

"Ang ating mga senior citizens ay marami nang kaalaman at pinagdaanan sa buhay na maari nilang maibahagi sa ating mga sanggunian. Gusto natin silang bigyan ng boses sa mga konseho upang mas marinig ang kanilang mga hinaing at gayundin nang mas maramdaman nila na sila ay nananatiling mga produktibong kasapi ng ating lipunan," Lapid said.

Under the proposed measure, there shall be one senior citizen representative in every barangay sanggunian, municipal or city sanggunian and provincial sanggunian. Moreover, the Senior Citizen Representative to the Sangguniang Barangay shall be elected by the duly recognized association of all senior citizens in the said barangay.

On the other hand, the Senior Citizen Representative to the Sangguniang Bayan o Panglungsod shall be elected by the senior citizen representatives of all the sangguniang barangay in the said municipality or city, while the Senior Citizen Representative to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan shall be elected by the senior citizen representatives of all the sangguniang bayan in the said province.