THE Office of Senior Citizens Affairs (Osca) is working to give more job options to senior citizens by reaching out to companies beyond the food industry.
Osca head Lorenzo C. Borja said their office is meeting with large establishments to urge them to hire seniors, following the example of Jollibee and McDonald’s, which have already agreed to take part.
“Ang Osca office karon naningkamot nga dili lang katong foodchain office ang mudawat ug senior citizens nato, naa tay naka schedule nga meeting with establishments (We’re making sure it’s not just food chains that give our seniors a chance. We’ve set meetings with other companies to discuss this),” Borja said at the ISpeak media forum on Thursday, July 31, at the City Mayor’s Office.
He said SM currently hires some senior citizens as utility workers for short shifts of about three to four hours, but these jobs are still limited. Osca is also in talks with NCCC, which has shown interest in hiring older workers. Other companies are being contacted as well.
The effort supports the Senior Citizens Work Opportunity Ordinance, recently approved by the 20th Davao City Council. The ordinance aims to help seniors find work. Borja shared that some companies have already expressed willingness to hire without asking for government incentives.
The city will soon sign agreements with Jollibee Foods Corporation and McDonald’s Philippines after the council approved a resolution for these partnerships. Other businesses are expected to follow.
Borja said many senior citizens welcomed the ordinance. Once the work guidelines are finalized, Osca will accept applications and coordinate with the Public Employment Service Office (Peso) for placement.
As of July 2025, Osca has 197,781 senior citizens registered in Davao City. RGP