North Cotabato seniors get free eye tests, eyeglasses
HEALTH • 00:27 AM Tue Nov 22, 2016
1,195
By:
NorCot provincial information office
KIDAPAWAN CITY – Thousands
of senior citizens in Cotabato have benefited from the outreach program
conducted by the provincial government today in different municipalities,
officials said.
Jessie Enid, focal person on
health and legal matters, said the program includes free eye check-up and the
corresponding distribution of reading glasses under the Antipara para kay Lolo
and Lola Program, part of the early gift-giving program of the provincial
government this Christmas season.
He said the provincial
government recognizes the necessity for senior citizens to wear eyeglasses to
help them in their daily activities.
Enid said as in previous
years, eye specialists from both public and private hospitals were invited as
partners and the provincial government has again coordinated with Local
Government Units (LGUs) to make the program even more effective.
Today’s outreach program came after
a series of similar activity in the towns of Carmen and Kidapawan City last
week.
The activity in Carmen was conducted
as the celebrated its 60th founding anniversary.
Carmen Municipal Mayor Rogelio
Taliño said the eyeglasses will help many elders to cope up with their
activities and in return will make them more active.
Our beloved senior citizens’ lives
will now change for the better especially those who cannot afford to see an
ophthalmologist to have their eyes checked, said Mayor Taliño of about 250 elders
who availed of the program.
In Mlang,
North Cotabato, 324 senior citizens were beneficiaries of the outreach program.
This week, the team will disperse eyeglasses and free eye check up in the towns
Matalam, Kabacan, Alamada, Tulunan, Banisilan, Pigcawayan, Libungan, Midsayap, Aleosan,
Pikit, Arakan, Antipas, President Roxas, Makilala, Kidapawan City, and Magpet.
First
initiated Serbisyong Totoo program in 2013, the Antipara para kay Lolo at
Lola has become a prominent activity every Christmas season along with other
programs such as the much-awaited Pamaskong Handog Alay sa mga Bata.