Population Institute

UPPI and DKU explore Filipino older person’s care in a three-day field activity

Students and faculty from the University of the Philippines Population Institute (UPPI) and Duke Kunshan University (DKU) embarked on a three-day field exposure activity from May 26 to 28, 2025 to gain firsthand insights into the state of long-term care and health services for older persons in the country.

During this immersion program, the group toured various institutions for older persons across Metro Manila and nearby areas. These included the Coalition of Services of the Elderly (COSE) in Quezon City; La Verna Aged Care and Dementia Village in Marikina City; National Center for Geriatric Health (NCGH) in Manila; and The Club Retirement Villa in Cavite City.

On the first day, May 26, some of the students and faculty also served as presenters for the public forum on ageing and long-term care organized by UPPI and DKU, in collaboration with the Demographic Research and Development Foundation (DRDF) and the Philippine Population Association (PPA). The forum, entitled ‘‘Empowering Family Caregiving Research in the Philippines,’ was held at Pilar Herrera Hall, UP Diliman, where they were joined by other keynote speakers from the National Commission on Senior Citizens (NCSC), the Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Through these visits, the group had a glimpse of the daily realities of older Filipinos in both public and private care settings. They also had the opportunity to interact directly with geriatric care experts, learning about the innovations being implemented and persistent challenges faced as these experts continuously work with the elderly to protect their rights, cater to their diverse needs, and uplift their quality of life.