PIA Press Release
Thursday, January 19, 2012 Creation of research center for ageing soughtMANILA, Jan. 19 (PIA) -- A bill seeking the creation of an agency which will serve as a research center that will guide policy-making on various issues surrounding ageing in the country has been filed in the Senate.Senator Edgardo Angara, author of the Senior Citizen's Act of 1991 and National Health Insurance Act (PhilHealth Law), has recently filed Senate Bill No. 2982 seeking the creation of a Philippine Institute for Ageing, that will generate science and research-based solutions on social, legal, economic and physiological issues regarding the nation’s senior citizens. The Senator 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. Angara who visited Tokyo, Japan last week as part of the Philippine delegation to the 20th Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum expressed his hope that the Institute, a member of the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaboration Center program, could provide assistance in setting up the Philippine Institute for Ageing in the country. In a statement, Angara said 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. "They continue to generate innovative methods to deal with the ageing population. The elderly are not considered an economic burden, but an integral part of society who have great potential to contribute when provided with the right infrastructure, policies and opportunities," the statement added. The Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, a research center founded in 1972, is considered a pioneer in the field of gerontological research. It goes beyond the medical research and treatment offered by similar institutes and offers a social and human aspect to the pursuit. The Institute is funded by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and continues to make breakthroughs in medical research, such as the preclinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's, and the prevention of cognitive function decline, including diabetes and hypertension, through regular physical activity. (SENATE/RJB/SDL/PIA-NCR) | 
