SAN PABLO CITY, Laguna – In the run-up to the special day celebration for Grandparents Day every second Sunday of September, a popular mall in this city is organizing its gadget literacy tutorial through the annual “Oldies but Techies” program for the elderly to keep them abreast with modern communication gadgets.
Evelyn Verzola, mall manager of SM City Pablo, told Philippine News Agency on Tuesday that their tutorial program, which started in 2011 as “High Tech si Lolo at Lola Ko,” is now dubbed “Oldies but Techies” to keep pace with the techie generation.
Verzola said the mall management has partnered with Power Mac in introducing and guiding the senior citizens on the latest apps and social media platform.
“We really want to make our grandparents feel welcome here in SM from the moment they enter our malls up until they leave, we want them to have memorable moments with their family and peers,” said Nina Wong, the mall public relations manager.
Wong said the city mall here is undertaking the modern communication apps literacy program for the elderly sector, which is implemented across all SM City supermalls nationwide as part of the SM Cares programs for senior citizens in partnership with their mall tenants.
“This techie learning program is only one of many services offered to the city’s senior citizens besides granting them free movie passes and other social programs such as free medical checkups, free eyeglasses and special flowers for them as well as to the marginalized and disadvantaged sectors,” she added.
The mall management said the techie learning sessions for the senior citizens are a way to spend more time with their family and their fellow elders and in recognition of their roles and contributions to society.
“They (senior citizens) deserve nothing less just as we honor mothers and fathers with special days we also dedicate a special day for them to show our love and affection and this “techie” activity would certainly thrill them,” a maller remarked.
Another shopper also said: “magandang program ito kasi, lalong napagbuo ang pamilya sa mga techie communication gadgets ngayon tulad ng chats at mga posts at puede sila mag-games para di mainip (this is a good program as this brings the family closer using techie communication gadgets now like the chats and posts and they can also play games to while away the time).”
A computer instructor also commented that teaching the elderly how to operate gadgets bring them simple joys as they are delighted to tinker with the equipment they had not seen or used during their time. ( Saul Pa-a/PNA)
