PHILIPPINES: Law on Elderly Implemented in Dumaguete City

DUMEGUETE CITY, Philippines (The Visayan Daily Star), May 29, 2006: Dumaguete City Mayor Agustin Perdices has ordered the implementation of the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2003, particularly on the free use of the city's public toilets by senior citizens. The mayor directed the city economic enterprises, general services and the social welfare and development offices to draw up the implementing guidelines. Perdices said his order was embodied in his directive to the three offices on May 18. This, he clarified, following a letter he received on May 25 from Dr. Juan Evangelista, head of the Office of the Senior Citizen Association in the city, requesting the city to exempt the elderly members of the community from paying for the use of comport rooms within the city. "The Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2003 has recognized the needs of the elderly members of our community by providing them full support for the welfare of their well-being," he said. Perdices also clarified that the new law covers only the city and province's public toilets. He said the city could not compel owners of private toilets to offer their facilities for free. Senior citizen are people aged 60 years and above as defined by Republic Act No. 9257 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2003.