Amazing graces
Published Jan 20, 2018 04:05 pm
By Alex Y. Vergara
ACT OF KINDNESS Members of University of Santo Tomas High School Batch 1981 channel their donations through Graces home for the elderly in Quezon City
For a few hours one overcast afternoon a few months ago, members of the University of Santo Tomas High School (UST HS) Batch ’81, led by current president Avic Balagtas-Bartilad, brought smiles and most likely warmed the hearts of close to 300 elderly residents of Graces, the Department of Social Welfare and Development-run home for the aged in Quezon City, which used to go by the name Golden Acres.
Batch members, all volunteers in their early 50s, brought with them some tried-and-tested tricks to make Graces’ elderly residents happy and, for a few hours, forget their current woes—from various health issues and failing memories, to neglect and total abandonment by their families—as they joined light group exercises and a bit of dancing with the UST alumni and Jollibee himself.
It’s not uncommon for some of the residents to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease and various forms of dementia. There’s no exact breakdown of those who were abandoned by family members, and those who couldn’t find their way back home. Some of the residents were brought by barangays and concerned individuals to Graces after they saw them wandering aimlessly in their neighborhoods. Some don’t know their names and are unable to tell exactly where they live.
The UST Batch ’81 outreach project, one in a series of giving-back activities Bartilad and her fellow officers organized since they were elected by members in early 2017, is the culmination of year-round activities members of the batch were involved in since the start of the year. Apart from an alumni homecoming, projects lined up for 2017 included Operation Tuli in Quezon, seed germination at La Mesa Watershed Reservation in Quezon City, and a bingo fund-raising event.
“There was no personal reason involved in the group’s decision to help residents of Graces,” said Bartilad. “We just want to help a government-funded institution particularly geared for the elderly.”
They could have picked up any other NGO whose mandate is to take care of poor and abandoned senior citizens, but Bartilad wanted to focus the group’s energy and modest resources to people who need them most.
Since government resources are limited even for the elderly, the group figured that residents of Graces—154 of whom are women, while 126 are men—needed their help the most. They had less than two months to organize the event, including soliciting donations both in cash and in kind from fellow members, including those now living abroad, as well as other people and organizations.
“Graces had a wish list,” said Bartilad. “When I went there one morning to see the facility for myself, I saw elderly residents taking turns in using the wheelchair to enjoy the sun. Since there weren’t enough wheelchairs, some of them don’t even get the chance to do their sunbathing.”
The program ended with the group dedicating a pair of songs that perhaps best reflect the wishes of people once they reach their golden years: Florante’s “Handog” and Rey Valera’s “Kahit Maputi na ang Buhok Ko.”
And whenever two or more Filipinos are gathered, can eating be far behind? Before the elderly residents called it an afternoon, they were each treated by the batch to a “Jolly” merienda and loot bag containing apples and various types of bread. Given their fragile condition, extremely sweet and salty foods were no-nos, and Bartilad and her organizing committee were mindful of this.
The highlight of the event was the group’s turnover of donated items consisting of several wheelchairs, boxes of Ensure as well as adult diapers, and cleaning agents such as bleach and dishwashing liquid.
As St. Francis once said, it is in giving that we receive. Many members of the batch, for instance, came home with clearer insights and a richer perspective on what members of the elderly, especially in the Philippines, sometimes go through.
In a country that prides itself of its close-knit family ties, for instance, Agnes Castañeda-Emralino found it unthinkable that certain residents were abandoned by their own families. But such is a fact of life.
“A good number of them still have relatives and families and yet they were left here,” she said. “It’s really hard when one gets old. This project unwittingly forced me to picture myself in the future. It made me think of what could await me when I get old.”
Catherine Lim-Espino also noticed how certain members of the community, despite nursing health issues and extreme loneliness, still managed to smile and enjoy themselves if only for a few hours.
“I feel privileged to be part of this project,” said Espino. “In our own little way, we shared with them ourselves. I hope we were able to encourage them to go on. No matter how dire the situation is, there’s always hope.”
“We’ve made the elderly residents of Graces feel important and loved. As a society, we should never neglect people who once took care of us,” said Mylene Cipriano.
Although majority of Filipinos are still 30 years old and below, the country isn’t exempted from a growing phenomenon once exclusively associated with Japan, Europe, and, to a certain extent, the United States: an aging population composed mostly of people living longer but not necessarily healthier, happier lives.
“I also realized that our society needs to do a lot more in caring for the elderly,” said Julius Draculan.
Comparisons were also in order. Girlie Francisco-Angeles, for instance, said that her “heart melts to see the elderly suffer so much in a partly dilapidated and overcrowded facility.”
She continued: “If you compare government-run facilities to NGOs such as Anawin, the latter is generally better because more volunteers are encouraged to help and donate.”
But despite Graces’ limitations, its employees’ level of commitment didn’t escape certain members of UST HS Batch ’81.
“What struck me most about our recent outreach program is the level of commitment of (Graces) employees,” said Quiel Delgado. “They are doing so much with the little resources that are given to them.”
“What made this project different from other projects we did in the past was the bigger number of volunteers from the batch,” Delgado added. “The leadership was able to inspire the rest of the batch to join hands to make the endeavor a success.”
ACT OF KINDNESS Members of University of Santo Tomas High School Batch 1981 channel their donations through Graces home for the elderly in Quezon City
For a few hours one overcast afternoon a few months ago, members of the University of Santo Tomas High School (UST HS) Batch ’81, led by current president Avic Balagtas-Bartilad, brought smiles and most likely warmed the hearts of close to 300 elderly residents of Graces, the Department of Social Welfare and Development-run home for the aged in Quezon City, which used to go by the name Golden Acres.
Batch members, all volunteers in their early 50s, brought with them some tried-and-tested tricks to make Graces’ elderly residents happy and, for a few hours, forget their current woes—from various health issues and failing memories, to neglect and total abandonment by their families—as they joined light group exercises and a bit of dancing with the UST alumni and Jollibee himself.
It’s not uncommon for some of the residents to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease and various forms of dementia. There’s no exact breakdown of those who were abandoned by family members, and those who couldn’t find their way back home. Some of the residents were brought by barangays and concerned individuals to Graces after they saw them wandering aimlessly in their neighborhoods. Some don’t know their names and are unable to tell exactly where they live.
The UST Batch ’81 outreach project, one in a series of giving-back activities Bartilad and her fellow officers organized since they were elected by members in early 2017, is the culmination of year-round activities members of the batch were involved in since the start of the year. Apart from an alumni homecoming, projects lined up for 2017 included Operation Tuli in Quezon, seed germination at La Mesa Watershed Reservation in Quezon City, and a bingo fund-raising event.
“There was no personal reason involved in the group’s decision to help residents of Graces,” said Bartilad. “We just want to help a government-funded institution particularly geared for the elderly.”
They could have picked up any other NGO whose mandate is to take care of poor and abandoned senior citizens, but Bartilad wanted to focus the group’s energy and modest resources to people who need them most.
Since government resources are limited even for the elderly, the group figured that residents of Graces—154 of whom are women, while 126 are men—needed their help the most. They had less than two months to organize the event, including soliciting donations both in cash and in kind from fellow members, including those now living abroad, as well as other people and organizations.
“Graces had a wish list,” said Bartilad. “When I went there one morning to see the facility for myself, I saw elderly residents taking turns in using the wheelchair to enjoy the sun. Since there weren’t enough wheelchairs, some of them don’t even get the chance to do their sunbathing.”
The program ended with the group dedicating a pair of songs that perhaps best reflect the wishes of people once they reach their golden years: Florante’s “Handog” and Rey Valera’s “Kahit Maputi na ang Buhok Ko.”
And whenever two or more Filipinos are gathered, can eating be far behind? Before the elderly residents called it an afternoon, they were each treated by the batch to a “Jolly” merienda and loot bag containing apples and various types of bread. Given their fragile condition, extremely sweet and salty foods were no-nos, and Bartilad and her organizing committee were mindful of this.
The highlight of the event was the group’s turnover of donated items consisting of several wheelchairs, boxes of Ensure as well as adult diapers, and cleaning agents such as bleach and dishwashing liquid.
As St. Francis once said, it is in giving that we receive. Many members of the batch, for instance, came home with clearer insights and a richer perspective on what members of the elderly, especially in the Philippines, sometimes go through.
In a country that prides itself of its close-knit family ties, for instance, Agnes Castañeda-Emralino found it unthinkable that certain residents were abandoned by their own families. But such is a fact of life.
“A good number of them still have relatives and families and yet they were left here,” she said. “It’s really hard when one gets old. This project unwittingly forced me to picture myself in the future. It made me think of what could await me when I get old.”
Catherine Lim-Espino also noticed how certain members of the community, despite nursing health issues and extreme loneliness, still managed to smile and enjoy themselves if only for a few hours.
“I feel privileged to be part of this project,” said Espino. “In our own little way, we shared with them ourselves. I hope we were able to encourage them to go on. No matter how dire the situation is, there’s always hope.”
“We’ve made the elderly residents of Graces feel important and loved. As a society, we should never neglect people who once took care of us,” said Mylene Cipriano.
Although majority of Filipinos are still 30 years old and below, the country isn’t exempted from a growing phenomenon once exclusively associated with Japan, Europe, and, to a certain extent, the United States: an aging population composed mostly of people living longer but not necessarily healthier, happier lives.
“I also realized that our society needs to do a lot more in caring for the elderly,” said Julius Draculan.
Comparisons were also in order. Girlie Francisco-Angeles, for instance, said that her “heart melts to see the elderly suffer so much in a partly dilapidated and overcrowded facility.”
She continued: “If you compare government-run facilities to NGOs such as Anawin, the latter is generally better because more volunteers are encouraged to help and donate.”
But despite Graces’ limitations, its employees’ level of commitment didn’t escape certain members of UST HS Batch ’81.
“What struck me most about our recent outreach program is the level of commitment of (Graces) employees,” said Quiel Delgado. “They are doing so much with the little resources that are given to them.”
“What made this project different from other projects we did in the past was the bigger number of volunteers from the batch,” Delgado added. “The leadership was able to inspire the rest of the batch to join hands to make the endeavor a success.”