Press Release
March 30, 2016

POE TO ENSURE BETTER HEALTH SERVICES,
BENEFITS FOR SENIOR CITIZENS

SAN NICOLAS, PANGASINAN--Returning to her home province of Pangasinan, presidential race frontrunner Sen. Grace Poe reached out to senior citizens and vowed to improve healthcare for the elderly.

In a campaign sortie in San Nicolas, Poe said the government must utilize all mechanisms to make sure local communities have full access to essential medicines.

Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) figures in 2012 showed that medicines account for more than half of out-of-pocket expenditures of Filipino patients. A December 2015 survey of Pulse Asia also found that health was the top concern of Filipinos.

"Ang gusto natin ay ito: ang mga maintenance medicines ninyo, dapat mas mabilis, mas madali ninyong makukuha--para sa diabetes, high blood o kung ano pa man. At kung hindi ninyo mababayaran, dapat mabibigay pa rin sa inyo ng gobyerno," Poe said.

The senator also said that public health facilities, especially in rural areas, must be well-equipped to effectively serve the marginalize sectors of society such as the elderly.

Data revealed from the PSA found that 66 percent of Filipinos seek medical care from public hospitals, rural health units and barangay health centers. This is particularly true among the poorest Filipinos who use public health facilities 90 percent of the time.

"Ang ating mga barangay health centers ay dapat kumpleto ang pagbigay ng lunas sa inyong mga pangangailangan araw-araw. Ubo man o kaya sakit ng katawan o may lagnat. Hindi lamang sa ospital lang pumupunta," Poe said.

The lone independent presidential aspirant also wants a government program that would provide employment for senior citizens who are still physically able and mentally sharp to work again.

"Paggising ninyo sa umaga, alam na ninyo, 'meron akong gagawin at may inspirasyon akong trabaho ngayong araw na ito.' Iyan ay ating ibibigay sa ating mga senior citizen na talaga namang nagtrabaho ng ilang taon pero bigla na lang nawala na ang kanilang pagkakataon dahil lamang tumanda sila," she said.

Senior citizens, people aged 60 years old and above, constitute seven percent or around six million of the Philippine household population in 2010.

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