by Sabrina Salas Matanane
Guam - The Government of Guam
Association of Retired Persons is urging Governor Eddie Calvo to declare a
state of emergency after the Department of Public Health and the non-profit
organization evidently couldn't reach an agreement on costs to administer the Senior
Citizens Operations Program, which operates the island's twelve senior centers.
KUAM News has confirmed with Mayors Council of Guam
executive director Angel Sablan that a memorandum of agreement has been signed
with Public Health this afternoon to take over managing and operating the senior
centers. As part of the agreement the Council will receive $60,000 a month ($5,000
for each senior center) for operations and to pay staff. Sablan adds that the Mayors
Council was not looking to take over the centers, but rather they were
approached by Public Health.
GGARP is urging the governor to intervene as hundreds of
senior citizens will be affected.
According to GGARP president Pilar Lujan there is no
transitional plan which will ensure the integrity of the program with which it
was intended through the Older Americans Act of 196. GGARP has been serving the
island's senior centers for more than four decades.
Public Health's contract with GGARP expires on February 28.
If all appropriate signatures are affixed on the MOU, according to Sablan the Mayors
Council will take over operations at the senior centers effective March 1.
