2 Secretaries grace unveiling of city’s projects for Elderlies
The newly-assumed secretary of the Department of Health Esperanza Cabral and Secretary of Social Welfare Celia Yangco will grace the inauguration of 3 city government-initiated projects for the Home for the Elderly in Talon-talon today, March 24.
Secretaries Cabral and Yangco will assist Mayor Celso Lobregat in unveiling and turning over the 3 projects— newly repaired mess hall, four units comfort rooms and the construction of fence –all amounting to P1.5 million—to the DSWD regional office under Director Teodulo Romo and Home for the Elderly Center Head Nenita Cartagenas.
It was October last year when Mayor Lobregat, while visiting the Home for the Elderly together with Sec. Cabral, then the secretary for DSWD, committed to help improve the facilities thereat, to help provide the aging clients the comfort and convenience they need.
“This is an early Christmas gift for you”, the mayor told the almost 40 clients housed at the Home for the Elderly in the presence of Secretary Cabral while inaugurating the Home during the inauguration of the extension building last year. The extension building was constructed and funded by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, which supervises the Home for the Elderly, at a cost of almost P1 million.
The mayor said the city government will shoulder the expenses specifically for the repair of the decrepit social hall and the crumbling fence including the poorly conditioned comfort rooms—and which he did.
The inauguration of the 3 projects today highlights Mayor Lobregat’s continuous assistance and support to the Home for the Elderly. Several other projects have been implemented by the city in the DSWD-run facility before.
Mayor Lobregat also visits the residents in the Home for the Elderly during special occasions such as Christmas and birthday. He last visited the facility last March 20, in celebration of his 62nd birthday where he distributed food packs, relief goods and other food items.
Forty one residents are housed at the Home for the Elderly, 15 of which are males and 26 are females. Of the total number, 60 percent is from Zamboanga City while the rest are from Cebu, Ilo-ilo and the neighboring provinces. (Sheila Covarrubias)