Senior Citizens: "Please Still Include Us"

How does one feel when he/she is at his/her youth? Isn't he/she having the time of his/her life? Isn't he/she allowed to experience all that life has to offer? Isn't he/she beautiful? Isn't he/she entitled to be young, wild and free? Isn't he/she capable of doing everything?

I am on my youth now and I am enjoying every moment of it. In professional aspect, I have earned my bachelor’s degree and got the corresponding professional title for it. I have been working for over three years now. This is the moment in my life that I can navigate my life where I choose to go. Physically, I am strong and feel healthy. I seldom get sick except for having asthma attacks once in a while. I am very appreciative of myself. I feel I am at my most attractive and desirable stage. I am more comfortable and confident about myself than I was years younger ago. At this time also, I do my share as Filipino Citizen. Since I turned 18 years old and registered as voter, I have never missed to exercise my political suffrage. To say "youth is the spring time of life" may sound cliché but this is how I truly feel right now because I can do whatever I desire because I am capable and able.

When youth fades, what will happen to me? Will I still have the same level of enjoyment that I am experiencing now? I am much aware that I will not be as healthy as now when I'll be old. But will I be as enthusiastic about life by then? At present, I am opinionated and participative of what's happening in our politics. I always take a stand of what I believe. For that reason, I am driven to really exercise my right to vote. I am still hoping those elected officials are doing to protect the people especially less fortunate, vulnerable and weak. When I'll reach old age, I will be defenceless, vulnerable and weak. Will I be constitutionally protected by then?

RA 9994 - The Expanded Senior Citizens Act is one of the country's laws that tackles about senior citizens. As a young professional, this makes me happy because there are privileges I am going to enjoy when I'll reach old age. I was able to know this act because my present job has to do with senior citizens. Part of the job is that I have to deal face to face with our Lolos and Lolas. Every time I give to them one of the additional grants stipulated on this act I can't help but to know a portion of their life. It is good to know that our government gives importance to our elderly.

Moment of belonging.Group of senior citizens expecting for their stipend.

As I do my duties I realized that parents will always be parents. My heart melts with this. Out of that meager stipend they received they would still share it to their children and even to their grandchildren.

However, there were also painful real life situations I've encountered. To have many children is not an assurance that one of your sons/daughters will take care of you when you will be old and weak. I've witnessed some of the Lolos and Lolas who diligently went to the site to claim their grants alone. There was no one to assist them. When asked if why they were alone they would only say that all of his/her children were busy with their own families or already left and lived in another place. Some of them would tell that they didn't want to disturb the busy life of his/her children. 

What had taken me a back immensely was most of our senior citizens felt they were already disconnected to the society, to the family. From my point of view, to feel left out, neglected or alone crushes a person's sense of belonging. I have never wanted to feel alone. And to feel that way is the worst kind of ordeal I don't want to encounter. Loneliness is a dangerous killer. It can kill you slowly yet painfully.

When all of us reached the age of majority, we started to plan how our life to be in the future. We visualized that we would be employed in a stable and great company. For some of us, to own a business would be the greatest achievement. When we would already be financially independent, most of us would like to have a family on our own. A few of us would consider living a life of singleness whether in a holy order or not. In order to achieve that detailed plan or our life, we promised that we would do great in our studies believing that education is the key to a better future. And when we earned our diploma or were already capable to survive the challenging world, we took off to realize those plans.

We have referred the life after schooling as the real world and this real world, once we set foot on it, took the best of us. It forced us to be always to be preoccupied in our chosen career. Manic Monday, busy Tuesday, stressful Wednesday, hectic Thursday and deadline Friday were our labels for weekdays. When Saturday and Sunday come, we would pamper ourselves. We would be tired but we would never give up because of our eagerness to make our plans realized. 

There is nothing wrong having those personal plans in life. Also, there is nothing wrong realizing those personal plans. What we fail to include in our personal plans are our parents. While we are so focused with our life, our parents age, get old and weak. It is just right and our time to give back to the people who have given us all without asking any in return. It is accordingly right to fly back to the people who gave us wings to take greater heights in our life. We should remember when we were still not able to walk, they were our feet. When we were still not able to talk, they were our voice. When we were still not able to see the wonders of the world, they were our eyes. So who are we to neglect them when we are now able and capable? Who are we not to take care of them? Who are we to be selfish?

More than what the government can extend to our elderly, let start from us. Let’s be generous to the closest senior citizens in us by distance and by blood. Let’s include our parents.

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