Opposition lawmakers blast Family Dept. over underestimated turnout at PAN services event
By THE STAR STAFF
Several Popular Democratic Party lawmakers are demanding that the island Family Department take responsibility for what they described as poor planning and disorganization during a recent Nutritional Assistance Program (PAN by its acronym in Spanish) services event in San Juan that left elderly participants waiting for hours under the sun to access essential benefits.
Reps. Swanny Enit Vargas Laureano, Lilibeth “Lilly” Rosas Vargas, Sol Y. Higgins Cuadrado, Estrella Martínez Soto and Gretchen Hau Irizarry on Sunday criticized the agency’s handling of the service day held at Pedrín Zorrilla Coliseum in Hato Rey, arguing that officials failed to provide adequate accommodations for a population composed largely of older adults.
The lawmakers said hundreds of seniors were summoned to the event without sufficient planning to address the expected turnout, forcing many participants, including individuals with health conditions and mobility challenges, to endure long waits as they sought assistance needed to secure food benefits.
“What occurred at Pedrín Zorrilla Coliseum was an abuse against our older adults,” the legislators said in a joint statement. “These are people who, in many cases, have health conditions, mobility difficulties and specific needs. They attended because they depend on PAN to put food on the table and deserve to be treated with dignity. Instead, they encountered chaos and disorganization that should never have occurred.”
The representatives argued that no public service initiative can be considered successful if the people it is intended to help are subjected to conditions that jeopardize their well-being.
They questioned how the government could call on hundreds of senior citizens to attend the event without adequate facilities, efficient service mechanisms or safeguards to protect their health.
“It is not enough to say afterward that more people showed up than expected,” the lawmakers said. “The responsibility of government is to prepare to serve its people, especially vulnerable populations.”
The legislators also linked the incident to broader political concerns, accusing the governing New Progressive Party (NPP) administration of prioritizing elderly voters during election periods while failing to provide adequate services throughout the year.
“The NPP is very diligent when it comes to reaching older adults at home to facilitate early voting or absentee ballots,” they said. “They know where to find them when seeking their votes. But that same diligence is not shown when it comes to guaranteeing dignified conditions for essential services.”
The lawmakers said seniors should not become a priority only during elections and called on government agencies to review their procedures and ensure that future PAN service events are properly staffed and organized.
“This is about people who need assistance to put food on their tables,” they reiterated. “The dignity of our older adults cannot be left to the improvisation of a government agency.”
Saturday’s special PAN services event was attended by some 1,500 citizens. The initiative, originally intended for residents of San Juan and Guaynabo, saw a turnout significantly higher than projected as citizens from other municipalities also showed up. Given the large number of participants, staff from the Administration for the Socioeconomic Development of the Family (ADSEF) kept guidance and assistance services running while coordinating available resources to meet the demand.
During the event, staff handled matters related to recertifications, new applications, pending appointments and other procedures linked to PAN benefits.
ADSEF Deputy Administrator Juan Avilés Silvestry acknowledged that they did not expect so many people.
“From early on, we worked alongside our team to assist the people who arrived seeking our services,” he said. “The turnout was significantly higher than anticipated, and we received citizens from various municipalities, which posed an additional challenge for the operation. Nevertheless, our staff remained focused on providing guidance, processing the necessary paperwork, and addressing the needs of the participants. We understand the importance these benefits hold for families, and we will continue to work diligently to assist them.”
Family Secretary Suzanne Roig Fuertes said meanwhile that although the turnout exceeded initial projections, the priority remained providing service to the citizens and evaluating aspects that may require adjustments for future initiatives. “Today, we saw a larger number of citizens than anticipated, which prompts us to carefully examine our operational processes and resource allocation to identify how we can continue to improve the experience for those who place their trust in us,” Roig Fuertes said. “At the same time, I am immensely grateful for the effort and commitment shown by our entire, excellent team at ADSEF.”
As part of the support and well-being measures provided during the event, a tent was set up for participants, fruit and water were distributed, and preventive medical services were made available.
