BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on third and final reading a proposed ordinance institutionalizing the creation of the Baguio Senior Citizens Multipurpose Cooperative for the primary purpose of establishing a Baguio Senior citizens Cooperative Pharmacy and Convenience Store and providing the guidelines relative thereto.
The ordinance authored by Councilor Leandro B. Yangot, Jr. stated the Office for Senior citizens Affairs (OSCA) of the City Social Welfare and Development Office will be tasked to organize the cooperative per district based on the existing registered senior citizens organizations for their seminar and consequently registration as a multi-purpose cooperative with the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA).
Likewise, the OSCA, together with the CDA, shall be the monitoring agency that would ensure the significant growth and development of the Baguio Senior Citizens Cooperative Pharmacy and Convenience Store.
Yangot claimed the organized district cooperatives shall identify the location of the Baguio Senior citizens Cooperative Pharmacy and Convenience Store and submit the location map together with the budgetary requirements to the OSCA for evaluation and recommendation to the City Mayor for approval.
Further, the City Social Welfare and Development Officer will be tasked to oversee the successful implementation of the local legislative measure and submit to the City Mayor a quarterly monitoring report copy furnished the members of the City Council for their information and appropriate action.
Yangot claimed there is a need to refile the proposed ordinance to date considering that it is apparent that some business establishments and drug stores are indifferent in giving the 20 percent discount to senior citizens and persons with disabilities thereby depriving them of their mandated rights and privileges.
He underscored the proposed ordinance is being hatched to make sure that the intentions of the law can be achieved considering that cooperativism will make senior citizens more productive and self-sufficient.
Yangot emphasized the creation of the Baguio Senior Citizens Multipurpose Cooperative with the primary purpose of establishing senior citizens cooperative pharmacies and convenience stores will help prove their ability to continuously carry out programs for the benefit of the under privileged majority and would eventually help the government in its effort to minimize if not eradicate poverty.
According to him, there are existing organizations registered with the OSCA which may be called upon for the organization of cooperatives on a district level.
Article 15 Section 4 of the 1987 Constitution provides that it is the duty of the family to take care of its elderly members while the State may design programs of social security for them as provided under the law.
Further, Article 13, Section 11 provides that the State shall adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health and other social services available to all the people at affordable cost.
By Dexter A. See
