A proposed law in the Bangsamoro Parliament aims to create a region-wide health and wellness program that would provide free medical services for senior citizens, particularly those in remote and conflict-affected areas.

Parliament Bill No. 375, or the Bangsamoro Healthy Ageing and Wellness Program (BHAWP), seeks to deliver community-based health care to residents aged 60 and above through fixed centers and mobile medical units.
The program would be jointly implemented by the Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD), the Ministry of Health (MOH), and local government units.
The measure also calls for the establishment of a Senior Citizen Health Information System (SCHIS) to monitor medical needs, track services, and measure health outcomes.
Based on the 2020 census, over 181,000 seniors live in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), many of them in areas where health facilities are scarce or inaccessible. This number is expected to grow by 2030, in line with national demographic trends.
Bill sponsor Member of Parliament Hashemi Dilangalen stressed the urgent need for such a program, noting that BARMM currently has no dedicated geriatric health centers and no unified database for senior citizens’ health information.

Under the proposal, services would include medical consultations, maintenance medicines, dental care, assistive devices, and home visits for bedridden elders.
The bill also seeks to train local health workers and caregivers in geriatric care, with priority given to indigent seniors, those living alone, displaced by conflict, or living with disabilities.
The program would also integrate Islamic-aligned practices, such as halal nutrition, gender-sensitive caregiving, and collaboration with faith-based and indigenous groups.

If enacted, the measure would be the first dedicated, regionwide program focused on aging and elder care in BARMM, aiming to close long-standing gaps in health services for senior citizens.