DATABASES OF SENIOR CITIZENS

DATABASES OF SENIOR CITIZENS

Dear Mr. President: Technically senior citizens are not in the same category as Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), but in a manner of speaking, many seniors have already lost their abilities to function normally, such that they would already need some of the facilities that are intended for PWDs. But if I may ask you Sir, what does it take for a senior citizen to be considered as a PWD? Is it a cane? Or a walker? Obviously, it is not a wheelchair because if a senior citizen must use a wheelchair, that will already qualify him or her to be a PWD.

Aside from some listings in the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) in the Local Government Units (LGUs), that are probably mostly in paper form, there appears to be no reliable electronic databases that are hosted anywhere, at both the national and local levels. As proof of that, most of the local senior citizen’s cards and discount booklets are still in paper form. Aside from that, there is no real monitoring of local business establishments that are not honoring the required senior citizen’s discounts.

Because of the lack of senior citizen’s databases, it is often difficult for NGAs and LGUs to distribute social welfare assistance packages that are intended for them. The problem I think is that these government units do not know who these senior citizens are and where they live, meaning how they could be contacted. For that matter, most of them would already need other people that could be contacted in case of an emergency, and the numbers of these people should be listed too.

As far as I know, the fire departments in some countries have a database of senior citizens and PWDs in the homes and residential buildings in their areas of jurisdictions, such that they would know who to rescue first, in the event of a fire or any other emergencies such as hurricanes, earthquakes and floods. Here in the Philippines, not only the BFP should have that, but also the PNP and the NDRRMC. I believe sir that it should be the DILG that should be on top of all that.

Mr. President, it is very easy to design and build databases nowadays. Even high school kids can do it, using Microsoft Excel or any spreadsheet using Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS). What is important is that the spreadsheet files could be converted into Comma Separated Values (CSV) files so that it could be exported into any database system or format. I would hope that most of the NGAs or LGUs would already have the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) staff who could do that, otherwise they could hire ICT consultants or contractors.

As an alternative Mr. President, there are already mobile apps that were purposely developed to service the needs of senior citizens. Most of these mobile apps are available on a subscription basis only, and therefore there is no longer a need to go through a complicated bidding process. What is good about these mobile apps is that they could work in any device, such as a laptop, a tablet or a mobile phone, both in Android and Apple operating systems. IKE SENERES/10-01-24

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PHILIPPINE INCLUSIVE SYSTEM FOR COLLEGE ENTRY OF STUDENTS

 PHILIPPINE INCLUSIVE SYSTEM FOR COLLEGE ENTRY OF STUDENTS My advocacy partner Mr. Roi Baluyot and I have created the Philippine Inclusive System for College Entry of Students (PISCES), for the purpose of making it easier for prospective students from the marginalized sectors to enter any of the State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) that are located all over the Philippines. Although tuition is free in these SUCs, many prospective students find it difficult to proceed, because of possible expenses that they could not afford, such as books, learning materials, snacks, board and lodging, specifically for dormitory fees if they are from out of town. This idea started when Mr. Baluyot informed me that there are some UP alumni groups in the United States who are concerned about the fact that the the majority of the students who are presently enrolled in the UP campuses right now are mostly coming from the upper classes. That reality defeats the purpose of UP becoming a "university of ...
Read more

PREPARING FOR USAID PROJECT WITHDRAWALS

PREPARING FOR USAID PROJECT WITHDRAWALS The recent foreign policy shifts under returning U.S. President Donald Trump have significantly impacted global development aid, including USAID’s programs in the Philippines. With the United States reassessing its foreign assistance policies, it is almost certain that USAID funding for the Philippines will be reduced . This could lead to the slowdown—or even the complete shutdown—of various projects that have been instrumental in supporting economic development, governance, health, education, and infrastructure in the country. A Call for Proactive Government Action The Philippine government cannot afford to wait until the last minute to respond. The potential withdrawal of USAID projects must be addressed now , not when funding officially stops. A well-planned transition strategy is necessary to prevent gaps in critical services and ensure that the country’s development momentum is not disrupted. Steps the Government Must Take Immediate...
Read more

TELEMEDICINE AT THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL

 TELEMEDICINE AT THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL Marinduque Governor Presby Velasco has a wonderful plan to make telemedicine available to all the 218 Barangay Health Units (BHUs) in his island province, and I am very happy to help him with the project as his Information and Communications Technology (ICT) consultant.  Although the technology for telemedicine is already available in the market, it appears that no province has yet implemented a province wide telemedicine project that could connect patients from the grassroots level to the doctors at the municipal halls and the provincial capitol. By doing that, Governor Velasco will be able to achieve the goal of providing universal access to healthcare to everyone in his province. Although the project might appear to be complex, it is actually designed with a simple plan that would make it easy to implement. The one part of the plan is to install internet connectivity in each of the BHUs, using satellite or fiber, depending on what is av...
Read more