By Jose Mari M. Garcia
Unfazed by the crisp morning air of the Christmas season, 500 senior citizens flexed their torsos in the recent “Todo Sayaw Todo Galaw, Senior Citizen Humahataw” held at the Brgy. San Juan, Balagtas.
The weekly exercise program was held concurrent with the Saturday opening of the North Food Exchange (NFEx) Tiangge last weekend which sold local agricultural and fisheries products.
Carmen Mina, head of the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office, said the weekly program is an early Christmas present to the senior citizens of the town who also received prizes and free food.
“The happiness of the grandfathers and grandmothers is overflowing that our gratefulness to Mayor Romy and to NFEx is continuing. We hope that they will continue to love the senior citizens of Balagtas,” said Mina.
The participants went home with prizes from the raffle and bingo programs. Free fishball, delicacies, mineral water, coconut and orange juice were also given to the seniors, according to municipal information officer Rolly Danes.
Mayor Romy Castro said programs for the elderly are available in Balagtas like discount cards and PhilHealth, and they even own an office for the association under the Love ko si Lolo Love ko si Lola, Elderly Project.
“It is inherent to Filipinos to be supportive of our grandfathers and grandmothers so the attention we give to our senior citizens are really at full blast,” said Castro.
Meanwhile, the participants expressed elation over the “Todo Sayaw Todo Galaw, Senior Citizen Humahataw” program where they now regularly meet conducted at the same site in NFEx, touted to be the Divisoria of Central Luzon.
“We are glad that with this program, we get leisure time and the members of the association have the chance to meet. We feel that we are important,” said Abelardo Ramos, president of the Federation of Senior Citizens of Balagtas.
After the program, the participants took time in buying vegetables and seafood which they said were cheaper and fresher than those in public markets.
Copyright © 2005 Philippine Information Agency
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Credit: Reports and photographs are property of owners of intellectual rights.
Credit: Reports and photographs are property of owners of intellectual rights.
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