Ageing rural farmers: Knowledge, access, and utilization of the senior citizens benefits

Much is to be improved in implementing the Senior Citizens Laws in the Philippines, more so that the Filipino elderly did not fully realize their benefits and privileges. Using a descriptive-survey design, this study determined the knowledge, access, and utilization of the programs under Republic Act 9994 of the aging rural household farmers in Bukidnon. The researchers employed systematic sampling of the 80 respondents in Barangay Imbatug, Baungon, and Bukidnon. Results showed the majority of the respondents were 72 years old, mostly females (65%), married (53%), and did not finish elementary education (53%). The respondents were either farmer-owner (43%) or laborers (45%). Their monthly income is less than 5,000 (82%). The majority were Catholics (68%) and had good health conditions (43%). The aging farmers had limited knowledge of their benefits. The majority of the respondents had low and minimal knowledge due to low educational attainment, low income, and delicate health condition. Their access to the benefits and privileges is hampered due to the distance of their homes and lack of money to pay for transportation, the absence of big establishments in their area, and the limited information they acquire; thus, they fail to enjoy their benefits. Their sex, education, health condition, and income had a significant relationship to their knowledge score. However, their sociodemographic profile was unrelated to their benefits access. This means that the respondents’ knowledge had something to do with their gender, education, health condition, and income.