Navotas seniors receive medical boost

Navotas City senior citizens — particularly those aged 80 and above — received financial assistance and free medical check-ups recently.

The National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) led the National Specialty Center for Geriatric Care Expanded Community Service and Free Medical Services at the Navotas City Library. Senior citizens received cash gifts and free medical services during the event.

Yolanda Tabilog, an 85-year-old resident of Barangay Tangos South, was among the beneficiaries and underwent blood and urine testing.

“This event is important, especially for us senior citizens, because we no longer need to travel to other hospitals for these medical procedures,” Tabilog said, adding that she sometimes travels to Manila for check-ups.

The NCSC partnered with the Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center for the medical mission.

Dr. Christine Baluca, one of the attending doctors, said common concerns among the senior citizens were diabetes, hypertension, and osteoarthritis.

The senior citizens will return to the Navotas City Library at a scheduled time to receive their laboratory results and a month’s supply of medical essentials.

Baluca stressed the importance of consistently taking medications for hypertension and following dietary modifications.

“Even if they don’t feel anything, in the long term, it could affect their health. We also want to prevent emergencies and chronic conditions like stroke and heart attack,” Baluca said, adding that intermittent medical intakes could further damage one’s health.

Senior citizens aged 80, 85, 90, and 95 received P10,000 in financial aid under the Expanded Centenarians Act.

Linda Ramirez, head of the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs of Navotas City, said that in addition to the financial aid, they also receive birthday cash gifts from the local government.

“We also have a social pension from the DSWD-NCR, we have at least 13,000 beneficiaries of the social pension which is distributed every semester, at least P6,000 per semester,” Ramirez said, adding that there is over 20,000 senior citizens in Navotas City.