CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — SM City San Fernando Downtown will hire senior citizens and put them “on the job” this October.

The move is part of SM Malls and SM Cares dubbed “Senior Citizen Community Service Program,” which allows the elderly to showcase their talents, skills and competence by taking on light, non-exhausting jobs at the mall.

According to SM City San Fernando Downtown Public Relations Officer Scarlet Pagdanganan, the mall will hire at least two male and four female senior citizens aged 60 to 70 years old for a six-month contract with the mall starting October 2013.

“The program will offer casual and part-time work assignments corresponding to the competence of our senior citizens. Those hired will be doing light duties in the mall like front-line positions with no cash responsibilities, greeters at the mall entrance, female room assistants and cinema ticket booth guides,” Pagdanganan said.

Light schedules and periods of assignment will be given the elderly for them not to be exhausted, she added.

“You’ll see them during weekends, holidays or peak days between 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.,” said Pagdanganan.

The city’s Office of Senior Citizen Affairs or OSCA, she emphasized, has manifested its support to the program and made recommendations on the hiring of the elderly.

“Ms. Teresita Jimenez of OSCA and officials gave their full support on this program by giving their recommendations. They will make sure that interviewees are physically fit and healthy by providing the medical clearance from a certified government physician for them to perform their tasks well,” noted Pagdanganan.

The “Senior Citizen Community Service Program” is part of SM Supermalls’ objective to empower and extend sustainable assistance to senior citizens members in the community where SM City San Fernando Downtown operates.