MANILA — The National Commission on Senior Citizens is calling on senior citizens to sign up on its website to help it create a database that it will use for programs for the elderly.

Speaking on TeleRadyo Serbisyo, NCSC chair Franklin Quijano said that collecting seniors’ data is in preparation for taking over functions currently being performed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

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Quijano said that the Philippine Statistics Authority has provided the new body general data on senior citizens but that more specific data would help the commission come up with assistance programs and benefits for senior citizens.

Created by Republic Act No. 11350 in 2008, the NCSC is mandated to take over “all functions, programs, projects and activities…for the formulation, implementation, and coordination of social welfare and development policies and programs for the poor, vulnerable and disadvantaged senior citizens” from the DSWD.

“Principally, we have to know each other. We are in the process of generating programs (for seniors),” he said.

“The best source of data is the senior citizen registering directly,” he said.

He said having an accurate database would make it easier for government to distribute assistance like the P1,000 monthly social pension for indigent senior citizens.

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Registration

The 37-item sign-up form on the NCSC website collects identifying information, as well as data on family composition, living conditions, educational and work profile, income and health.

It also requires the senior citizen to upload a photo of a senior citizen or other government ID and an actual photo.

Registration can be done with assistance, but the assisting person must put their name and their relationship with the senior citizen on the form.

Quijano said the database and the seniors’ info will be secure.

“We just need to be safe and secure and makakaaasa kayo na protected and secured yung data dahil we are doing all the best na hindi siya mapasok ng kahit sino,” he said.

The sign-up comes amid reports of government agency websites and databases being subjected to cyber attacks.

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According to the NCSC website, more than 2.9 million senior citizens have already registered on the database.