By Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff reporter
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| English: Map of Ilocos Norte showing the location of Piddig (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte—Every month, members of the senior citizens association of Piddig, Ilocos Norte queue at a mall’s movie house in this town. They receive free movie passes by presenting their senior citizen’s identification card.
Republic Act 9994 or, the “Expanded Senior Citizen’s Act of 2010,” gives elders aged 60 and above additional recreational benefits such as free movie passes in cinemas.
In recognition of the important contribution of senior citizens in nation-building, Piddig mayor Georgina S. Guillen accompanied 150 seniors to the movie cinema this month; after the movie the mayor treated them to a fast food restaurant.
Mrs. Guillen said this is just one way of expressing their gratitude to Piddig senior citizens for their great contribution to the development of the community.
In 1994, then President Fidel V. Ramos declared the first week of October as Linggo ng Katandaang Filipino (Elderly Filipino Week) through Proclamation No. 470.
Every year since, local government units in collaboration with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and other government and non-government organizations lead the celebration of Elderly Filipino Week.
Based on the 2010 census, there are more than 3.4 million Filipino senior citizens.