Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

MANILA - About 300 seniors from all over the country will be pampered by the Makati city government with movies, food, and hotel accommodations as they gather on Sunday for the first Senior Citizens Convention.

Delegates from the country's 207 local government units and 17 member federations of the Senior Citizens Associations of the Philippines will join the three-day event that will end on Tuesday, Mayor Jejomar Binay's 66th birthday.

Makati is known to shower its senior citizens with plenty of perks like cash gifts that entitle them to an annual allowance of P2,000; and cakes on their birthdays and golden wedding anniversaries.

Last month, the city government ordered the exemption of its elderly from the number-coding scheme.

"Every senior citizen holds a special place in the heart of the city government and the people of Makati. This convention is a good opportunity not only for other localities to experience the hospitality of Makati but for us to see other means to pamper and give joy to our elderly," Binay said.

Binay added that delegates will experience firsthand the programs of Makati for its elderly with tours and activities starting Sunday, where they will enjoy the free movies at Power Plant Cinema in Rockwell Center.

It will be followed by a 5 p.m. Mass in the Bel-Air village covered court and a welcome dinner hosted by the village.

On November 10, Makati's programs will be presented to the participants at the Makati City Session Hall. There will be a discussion on the Elderly Care Services, the city's latest program to field health workers for home visits to ailing senior citizens, and a lecture on Graceful Aging by Abbott Laboratories.

The mayor and his daughter Representative Abigail Binay, proponent of the Senior Citizens Act, will also hold dialogues with the delegates.

The elderly will then be toured around the city and treated to the Aawitan Kita special concert of Armida Siguion-Reyna.

On November 11, the delegates will join Binay in a morning Mass for his birthday at the City Hall quadrangle, and a closing ceremony on the City Hall's 22nd floor.

The event, organized by the Makati Social Welfare Department and the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs, also aims to promote the spirit of brotherhood among the elder participants and allow the sharing of best practices in the different localities.