Iloilo City barangays sets up home care services for elderlies, PWDs

The Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) voted unanimously for the passage of an ordinance establising a home care services to indigent elderly and persons with disability in every barangay of Iloilo City (PNA File Photo)

By Perla Lena

Newly-elected barangay officials of this city will have added responsibilities waiting for them when they assume their posts with the passage of the Iloilo City Home Care Support Services Ordinance.

The final copy of the ordinance was presented to members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) after several amendments where made prior to its approval by the council during their regular session this week.

“From the very start, this has been one of my advocacies and I’m very happy that almost six or seven months before my terms ends this Home Care Support Services Ordinance was passed,” Councilor Candice Tupas said in an interview on Friday.

Tupas said while some indigents have their families to help them, there are some who have no relatives.

But even with those who have families, “it is tasking for the family also to take care of bed-ridden patients,” she said.

“Just give them the appropriate care and it is our job as part of the barangays, as health force of the city to take care and see to it that they are well-taken care of. That they are given priority,” she said.

Section 6 of the ordinance mandates barangays to establish a home care to be headed by the barangay captain together with the barangay council and the Federation of Senior Citizens Association of the Philippines, persons with disability affairs office and barangay health workers.

The City Social Welfare and Development Office is responsible with the training of persons involved in the implementation of the services.

Tupas said under the ordinance, barangays are expected to come up with a data bank of indigent elderly and persons with disability for them to be properly monitored.

They will be visited in their homes by barangay health workers at least once a month to check on their hygiene, blood pressure and other vital signs.

The Office of the City Mayor, which is tasked to create a task force, will look into the implementation of the ordinance that will take effect after its publication. 

(Reposted from Philippine News Agency website.