Senior Citizens take over City Hall on Monday, Oct. 17; Regional Offices earlier on Oct. 10

Fifty-six senior citizens shall serve the community through various local government offices on Oct 17; while regional offices shall have their Senior Citizens Official for a day on Monday, Oct. 10.

Orientation to their functions is done earlier by the respective offices where they are assigned, with oath-taking on the day of service.

The 56-strong Senior Citizen Officials-For-a-Day (SCOFAD) is headed by retired city government employee Epifania Tamiao as the city’s lone representative to the congress; with Alexander Wasian unseating Mayor Benjamin Magalong and Luz Abella taking over Vice-Mayor Faustino Olowan’s seat, just for a day.

Senior Citizen (SC) Gerald Gammad serves as councilor for Youth Welfare and Sports Development; Delia Nicolas for Tourism, Special Events, Parks and Playgrounds; Mario Delos Reyes for Ethics, Government Affairs and Personnel; Thelma Kim for Education, Culture, Creativity and Historical Research.

Retired city government employees Noel Mabutas, Raymund Ruaro and Dr. Zoraida Clavio sit as councilors, for Law, Human Rights, and Justice; Urban Planning, Lands and Housing; and, Health and Sanitation, Ecology and Environmental Protection; committee chairs, respectively. The retired trio held positions related to the council committee they head for a day as Senior citizen councilors.

For the city council, Benigno Andam replaces Councilor Maria Mylen Victoria Yaranon as committee chair of Public Works; Flordeliza Lagera is councilor for a day handling Social Services, Women and Urban Poor; and Verena Viernes heads the market, trade and Commerce and Agriculture committee.

Laurito Alinao is committee chair for Public Protection and Safety, Peace and Order; Ursula Daoey replaces Councilor Allad-iw for a day in the employment, livelihood and cooperatives, Person With Disabilities council committee; while Viola Aplosen is Public Utilities, Transportation and Traffic Legislation council committee chair for a day.

 For years, SCOFAD councilors dispensed with their functions, same as elected officials. Their approved legislative proposals such as resolutions and ordinances, have been implemented, with some used as basis for other measures.    

All SCOFAD officials underwent three screenings, by Councilor Elmer Datuin; Councilor and Government Retirees Association head Betty Lourdes Tabanda; Federation of Senior Citizens Association head Edita Ibarra, Office of Senior Citizens Association Margaret Tolero; OIC of Baguio Association of Retired Persons, Rogelio Urbanozo; and Acting City Social Welfare and Development Officer Liza Bulayungan as secretariat.

As to the criteria, the SCOFAD qualifier must be a Baguio resident, a member of a Senior Citizen Organization accredited by the Department of Social Welfare and Development or CSWDO.

Only one term is allowed for those who occupy the top three positions, while only two terms are allowed for those who occupy councilors’ and department heads’ positions.  

Once designated to an office, the Senior citizen must be present on SCOFAD day, able to take on the responsibilities accorded to his office.

The SCs were chosen as to educational background (15%), jobs or business history (5%), personal qualities and character traits (15%), achievements and accomplishments (30%), community involvement and service (30%), with at least 5 awards received (5%).

City department heads shall be replaced, by Leonila Loreto as City Accountant; Purita  Pacial, City Administrator; Jessie Rivera, Auditor; Nadelline Orallo, Budget Officer; Dominador Floresca, Building and Architecture Officer; Teresita Bilagot, Civil Registrar; Evangelina Tangalin, Dep-Ed Baguio Schools Division Superintendent; Bernadette Gallardo, DILG City Director; Brigida Ancheta, City Engineer; Elizabeth Bautista, Environment and Parks Management Officer; and Erlinda Eslava, General Services Officer.   

For the regional offices, SCOFAD on Oct. 10, Monday are: Elizabeth Ong, ROIC Regional Director (RD) of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR); Rose Mary Dispo, Civil Service Commission (CSC) RD; Manuel Palor, Commission of Elections (COMELEC) RD; Clemente Marzan, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) RD; Antonio Cortes, Jr, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) RD;

Frederick Garcia is Department of Health (DOH) RD; Corazon Trinidad, Department of Labor (DOLE) RD; Marylene Fontanilla, Department of Tourism RD; Melendre Eustaquio, Department of Public Works and Highways RD; Jeanira Okubo, Department of Social Welfare and Development RD;

Caroline Santiago, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) RD; Edith Alagon, Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) RD; Joseph Cabreros takes over the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) vice Atty. Janel Francisco; Cristina Dela Cruz is RD of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA); Cristino Balancio is Department of Agriculture (DA) RD; and Elizabeth Aquino is Commissioner of the Northern Luzon Clustered Regional Office – NCSC.

The activity is anchored on Republic Act 7432 which states that the elderly should be motivated and encouraged to contribute to nation building. Their contributions to the community should be maximized, it was also stated.

Measures are also adopted wherein senior citizens are assisted and appreciated by the community, one of which is the SCOFAD where the elderly contribute to the community through the three branches and offices of the government. – JGF