EdAngara.com - The Official Website of Senator Edgardo J. Angara

Senator Edgardo J. Angara called on his colleagues to pass a measure (SBN 2982) seeking to create the Philippine Institute for Aging, a research institute focused on giving Filipinos longer and better lives, as he expressed concern over the country’s old-age pension and healthcare system.

Angara cited a report from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) that pension systems in many parts of developing Asia including the Philippines are unprepared and underfunded to meet the needs of the region’s rapidly aging population.

Senator Edgardo J. Angara has tapped world-renowned Filipino doctor Dr. Patricio F. Reyes, FAAN to head the Philippine Institute for Ageing (PIA) sought to be established through Senate Bill No. 2982 which he authored.

Senator Edgardo J. Angara is pushing for the establishment of a Philippine Institute of Ageing (PIA) which he hopes will duplicate the pioneering research of the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology in the Philippine setting.

“Japan is an excellent example of foresight and responsiveness, not only in dealing with natural disasters, but also in demographic challenges such as its graying population,” said Angara, chair of the Congressional Commission on Science, Technology and Engineering (COMSTE).

Senator Edgardo J. Angara at the 20th Annual Meeting of The Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) at Tokyo, Japan.

TOKYO, JAPAN -- Senator Edgardo J. Angara lauded the initiatives of Japan in taking care of their elderly population during the 20th Annual Meeting of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) and encouraged other countries, especially the Philippines to heed their example.

Senator Edgardo J. Angara underscored the need to create a Philippine Institute for Ageing as he keynoted the opening of the 47th Annual Convention of the Philippine Association of Medical Technologists Inc. (PAMET).

Angara, author of the Senior Citizens Act of 1991, is proposing the creation of the institute to ensure that the country is prepared to meet the challenges of an aging demography through Senate Bill No. 2982.

Senator Edgardo J. Angara is pushing for the creation of the Philippine Institute for Aging, a research institute focused on giving Filipinos longer and better lives.

The Institute will be attached to the National Institutes of Health, and will be under the University of the Philippines Manila, which also houses the country’s premier medical school.

“Even though the current Philippine population is relatively young with an average age of 26.6, it will also age over time,” said Angara. “Many Western countries are now facing this challenge. We must likewise be prepared to meet it.”