THE Local Government Unit (LGU) of Davao City, in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), continues to expand its support and care for the city’s elderly population.
Ramonita Salamanca, manager of Con Su Gian, emphasized their commitment to providing comprehensive care at the residential facility. She shared that the center serves elderly individuals who are neglected, abandoned, or without family connections.
“Gipadayon ang programa nga kanang free sila sa food, sa pagpuyo dinhi ug naan serbisyo medical, burial ug daghan pang uban (We continue to offer free food, housing, medical services, burial assistance, and more),” Salamanca said in an interview on Madayaw Davao on November 13, 2024.
Initially, the facility was a meeting space for the Davao City Senior Citizens Federation in the 1980s. In 1993, it was converted into a temporary shelter for homeless senior citizens.
Now among the first LGU-supported elderly care centers in the city, the facility stands on a 6,829-square-meter lot donated by Henry Wee and is named after his mother.
For several years, the Senior Citizens Federation managed the shelter, but financial constraints led to its transfer to the City Social Services and Development Office (CSSDO) in 2012, under the leadership of then-Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio and Vice-Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
Recently, Con Su Gian marked 31 years of service, providing a haven for the elderly for over three decades. Currently, it houses 58 residents, including those who have been abandoned, neglected, homeless, or abused.
Before being admitted, senior citizens undergo a screening process to locate their families and understand why they lack caretakers.
The facility offers its residents food, clothing, medical assistance, psychosocial therapy, and other vital interventions. RGP
