SENIOR citizens of Baguio once again took over the functions of government officials on Monday October 03, 2016 in line with the celebration of the Elderly Filipino Week or the Senior Citizen’s Week.
One of the highlights of the said activity was the regular session of the Senior Citizens Officials For A Day (SCOFAD) who took over the functions of the members of the City Council or the Legislative branch of the city government. Just like the previous years, SCOFAD-Councilors filed resolutions deemed significant to advance the interest of senior citizens in the city as well as the rest of the citizenry. Among the 27 resolutions proposed by the said elderly leaders, there were numerous bills which stood out as beneficial to senior citizens. This include a proposal expressing the City Government of Baguio’s Opposition to “The Proposed Removal of the Exemption Granted to Senior Citizens from Value Added Tax (VAT) as Provided Under Republic Act no. 9994 otherwise known as the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010”.
Another is a measure seeking exemption in the number coding ordinance for senior citizens in case of emergencies and a resolution asking for privilege parking especially in front of drugstores in the city. There was also a proposal to appropriate funds for the purchase of a bus for the use of the senior citizens for tourism purposes, a bill requesting the Baguio City Police Office to regularly assign a policeman at all blue lane pedestrian crossings, and a proposal to require passenger jeepneys to install additional footstep (permanent or adjustable) at the back and front entrance of passenger jeepneys for the convenience of the elderly in entering the PUJ’s. The SCOFAD-Councilors also reiterated their request for congress to overturn the veto of then President Benigno Aquino III on the grant of a P2,000 increase in their monthly SSS pension and also for them to be granted free movie admission on all screening hours any day of the week.
All resolutions or ordinances approved by the SCOFAD-Councilors will automatically be forwarded to the proper committees of the City Council and it will be up to the members of the committee on whether to adopt or endorse the said resolutions which in turn will still have to be approved by the members of the city council.