Seniors Caring for Seniors

TONY MELOTO

In the midst of the Pandemic scare and the stringent health protocols, we found ourselves last Saturday, April 17,  on another faith journey distributing food boxes to 14 indigent elderly of Cuenca, Batangas. With our team of farmers from Paraiso Village Farm and the local DSWD, we brought good food and good cheer to the hungry and the lonely who are the most vulnerable and neglected during these depressing times.

Our simple visit, without drumrolls and political agenda, brought heartwarming smiles and tears to the forgotten and unvisited.

It was a simple bundle of goodwill of groceries, fruits and vegetables – rice, milk, eggs, mongo, eggplant, ampalaya, tomato, okra, squash, upo, ponkan, gabi, turmeric ginger, cabbage – and healthy meals of pinakbet, pancit and sweet and sour tilapia.

More than the unexpected bounty of a week’s supply of food was the overflow of goodwill and the presence of joy that came with the giving. The impact on the lonely elderly was beyond words.

Rolando Gravan from Poblacion 2 was speechless as tears spoke what words could not express. A former barker with no family to care for him, he sleeps in a green cot provided by a generous neighbor.

Stroke-victim 74 year old Luisito Magpantay, a former janitor, brought down his face mask to show his smile of joy and appreciation. He is cared for by his wife Adelia and two children.

Maria Gonzalez is a 71-year-old widow living in a small rented house with two children and lives a hand-to-mouth existence as a sidewalk vendor. Our presence with unexpected presents was like Christmas in April to her.

Another balmy Saturday afternoon for me of energizing walk in less-trodden footpaths to bring fresh vegetables, hot meals, and good cheer to the unvisited elderly of Barangay Sabang, San Jose, Batangas. Despite this being a Covid-free barangay since the beginning of the pandemic, our Paraiso farm team observed strict health protocols in reaching the homes of this most vulnerable age group.

The effort and risk were worth taking.

Our presence brought smiles and tears to the hungry, the disabled and the lonely. Some of them are stroke victims, one was bedridden and could not contain the tears as her lips could only mutter a faint “thank you and God bless you.” 

What was deeply moving for me was seeing the sad faces of a few, mostly men, who were counting their remaining days in small shanties, without milestones to celebrate with family. We didn’t have the time to hear their stories how they were lost or forgotten. That would be for more future visits.

The women, like the two who were aged 92, lived longer and were generally happier than the men. They were surrounded by caring hearts that gave them the will to live longer. 

Next week will be another exciting faith journey for another set in this barangay where 132 indigent elderly joined our Seniors Faith Club. 

Truly, joy comes when we feed the hungry, visit the sick and comfort the lonely.

Margarita Chavez, 79, single and blind, lives a sad life with two elderly sisters, one with a mental condition. She was overwhelmed by the visit of the Paraiso Farm team.

Efren De Chavez, 68, sells fishball and kikiam in a roadside stall to support himself and his daughter.

Imelda Umali is 92 years old, without teeth, but full of wisdom and good humor, and eager to share her formula for long life – cultivating a grateful heart to God and her family who love her.

Next Saturday, April 24, we will cover Barangay Sabang in San Jose, Batangas, where we have a hundred elderly who have joined our Seniors Faith Club. 

Their first activity on February 14 last year at the Paraiso Farm was to lift their spirit as they were the most affected by the Taal eruption. We saw the depression among the elderly when we were feeding nearly a thousand evacuees daily. We gave them a farm tour, an inspiring session on hope and happiness, a healthy seven-course lunch, a fun-filled afternoon of entertainment and games, and sent them home with a box each of a week’s supply of groceries, vegetables, and fruits.

We wanted to do more for them after that, but the lockdown came, the risk was high, and mobility was tight. But the desire to care for the less fortunate elderly continued to nag my heart.

At 71, I am just as vulnerable as most of them. Still, like many of my more privileged elderly friends, we are blessed with an abundance of food, comfortable homes, access to health care and maintenance medicine, a choice of Netflix programs to watch, and, most importantly, children with means to care for us.

Despite the uncertainty due to the current health situation, I decided to restart this April to ease the pain of aging for those with less in life. With deep gratitude, I acknowledge the encouragement of friends from my Ateneo University ’71 batch, Co-Rotarians, AFS 11, Rich for All Foundation, Faith College, Airspeed, and the angels from the privileged communities supporting our farmers by getting their weekly supply of fruits and vegetables from them.

Aging is not so daunting if there is a purpose to be passionate about. If Seniors Faith Club is God’s purpose for me at this stage of my long life, then it’s worth giving my all with joy.