Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

On the occasion of the Second World Assembly on ageing dedicated to the pursuance of a society for all ages, it is my distinct honor to convey to you the personal greetings of H.E. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of the Republic of the Philippines, and her wish for a fruitful and successful assembly.

The Philippines has a relatively young population. As of today, our older persons represent 8.4 percent of our total population. However, that number is growing at a faster rate than in many other countries and is expected to increase to 18.1 percent of the total population, or exceed 11.1 million by 2025.

Recognizing the seriousness of this challenge, we have made great strides in enhancing the well-being of older persons while promoting their positive contribution to society. Guided by the philippine constitution, laws that recognize the positive role of older persons in our society have been enacted, encouraging older persons to contribute to nation-building and to mobilize their families and the communities they live with, to reaffirm the filipino tradition of caring for older persons. These laws further granted benefits and special privileges to older persons as well as created the office for senior citizens' affairs nationwide. A republic act in 1995 established senior citizens´ centers to serve as venues for the delivery of integrated and comprehensive services to older persons. The organizations of older persons manage these centers with the support of the local and national governments.

Guided by the Vienna Plan of Action on Ageing and the Macao Plan of Action on Ageing for Asia and the Pacific, we adopted the Philippine Plan of Action for Older Persons in 1999. The plan of action addresses eight major areas of concern: namely, older persons and the family; social position of older persons; health and nutrition; housing, transportation and environment; income security, maintenance and employment; social services and the community; continuing education/learning; and, older persons and the market.

These areas of action for older persons are anchored on the belief that poor people are part of the solutions to poverty; therefore, older persons especially poor older persons are part of the force that will transform their situation.

To implement the plan of action, we called upon all stakeholders, including older persons, and adopted a multi-sectoral approach such as development planning, health, local governance, labor and employment, trade and industry, housing and urban development and, social insurance and security. Significantly, the plan of action recognizes the importance of establishing partnerships with civil society, particularly with self-help, service and advocacy organizations.

The Philippines also recognizes the value of international cooperation in social development and ageing. We participated in global and regional initiatives and exchanges in support of the International Year of Older Persons and the Macao Plan of Action on Ageing for Asia and the Pacific, as well as in regional consultation in preparation for this assembly in september 2001. We hosted the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) regional workshop on strengthening national policies on ageing and the follow-up to the Macao Plan of Action on Ageing in July 2001.

Mr. President,

Today, the Philippines continues to make inroads towards strengthening further the role of older persons in the family and promoting multi-generational solidarity; their role in enhancing the social position of older persons in the community through participation in local councils and the strengthening of the National Federation of Senior Citizens whose membership includes about 75 percent of the older persons population; their role in improving health and nutrition opportunities for functional literacy and provision of other social services for older persons; as well as improving social security and insurance coverage for those in the formal sector and searching for mechanisms of coverage for those in the informal sector.

Despite the progress made, five areas continue to be critical: the need to empower communities of older persons; understanding issues and implications that population ageing brings to society; preparation of the populace for an ageing process that is both satisfying and productive for an individual; the development of a service infrastructure and environment based on both traditional and modern institutions; and the delivery of social services needed by the growing number of older persons.

To respond to these concerns, we are now active in efforts to develop a database on older persons; establish gerontology centers to provide much-needed research and training, legislate a magna carta for older persons; and strengthen the capabilities and promote the advocacy role of organizations on ageing. We are also concerned with both the rights and the urgent needs of specific target groups such as older persons in the informal sector; the poor older persons particularly those without family, older women, rural elderly and those belonging to indigenous groups; and internally displaced older persons due to internal conflicts and economic displacement.

Mr. President,

My delegation stands committed to the full protection and promotion of human rights for all, including older persons. The rights and welfare of older persons will be recognized and protected only if equality and justice in our societies become a reality.

We must take care that no country is marginalized from the benefits of social and economic development. When all countries, especially developing countries are able to provide for the basic human needs of its people, then a better quality of life will be ensured for older persons.

The Philippines stands ready to participate in efforts to promote the well-being of older persons including sharing of experiences and exchange of views on best practices in the implementation and monitoring of the outcome of this assembly. We join other countries of the world in expressing the profound hope that this world assembly will continue to bring to fruition the efforts that began in Vienna in 1982, towards the development of a society for all ages.

In this regard, my delegation joins the G77 and China in advocating that in laying the groundwork for the older population in the next fifty years, the policies and programs for the elderly must have a gender specific perspective.

We wish to express our appreciation for the excellent work done by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs in New York and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok in support of regional and national programs and initiatives. Because the multi-sectoral issues they are addressing will continue to grow in importance during the next 50 years, particularly in the asian and pacific region, we hope that resources will be made available to the concerned units in these organizations to enhance and strengthen their capabilities in supporting national efforts to implement programs and activities in line with the outcome of the world assembly. We also urge developed countries that have not done so to make concrete efforts toward the target of 0.7 percent of Gross National Product (GNP) as official development assistance to developing countries to achieve the internationally agreed development goals and objectives, including those contained in the millennium declaration. Our delegation wishes to honor those who began the process of calling attention to issues of older persons twenty years ago for their courage and assertion. For those older persons who provided leadership, they will best be recognized through our collective effort and commitment to a process that puts our energies toward the highest and common good of the elderly.

Recognizing that we live in a very challenging world where differences are being settled with the blood of the elderly, women, and children, we should not wait for another two decades to act. In our region, we will have two follow-up programs : a non-governmental organization-led follow up meeting in Australia in October 2002 and the ESCAP initiative to establish an action programme for collaboration and monitoring in September 2002 in Shanghai. The Philippines is committed to operationalizing the International Plan of Action on Ageing 2002, during the ESCAP follow-up meeting this September.

Finally, our government assures this body that we are committed and have the political will to make a significant contribution in creating a society for all ages, guided by the principles of good governance, moral recovery, and transparency.

Mr. President,

We look forward to the time when older persons are not constrained from teaching younger generations their songs and dances, and narrating their struggles of life because they no longer face hunger, displacement, poverty, curtailment of freedom and war conflict.

In closing, allow me to express our gratitude to our hosts, for their gracious hospitality and their excellent preparations for this assembly here in beautiful and historic Madrid, a city which had and will continue to have a special place in many filipino hearts.

Thank you and Mabuhay!