PRAYER POWER RALLY AND UNITY WALKTO SUPPORT THE VICTIMS OF “TYPHOON PABLO’

Quezon City, Philippines – Around 500 older people from different cities of Metro Manila of various faith commitments flocked together to offer spiritual support for the victims of disasters in Mindanao despite the intermittent rain from five to nine o’clock, Saturday morning.

“We are gathered here this morning to give the victims new hope and offer them help in their needs”, said Nanay Julie Catangay, lead manager of the event, in her introductory message.

The group, composed of members and officers of Confederation of Older Person s’Associations in the Philippines (COPAP) and staff of Coalition of Services of the Elderly (COSE),marched in solidarity around Quezon City Memorial Circle to solicit financial support from park attendees and shared a portion of their diminutive wealthfor the victims. “If we have 10 pesos, sharing half of it would ease hunger to our fellow elderly, because however small, if it is summed up, this little amount from poor people like us would make a lot of difference to them”, Nanay Julie added.

The park was filled with song and dance of praises and prayers from different faiths including two Buddhist volunteer staff from Cambodia and Thailand. 

Around 50 students of National Service Training Program (NSTP) from San Beda College showed young people’s support toelder’ struggles and aims.

The prayer rally ended with summons from older people to take care of the four elements (water, wind, fire, and earth) the Almighty has lent to humankind.

ADA @ "Walk for Life"

 Last October 1, 2012, Senior citizens from different walks of life gathered together and celebrated the Elderly Filipino Week at SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City. With the theme: Nakatatanda: Sa Bisa ng RA 9994, May Dangal, Nagkakaisa at Buhay ay Gumiginhawa”, the activity aims to send a message that through the recently passed expanded senior citizen law, older people live with dignity, unity and life with ease. There are around 1,500 senior citizens merged from different areas of Metro Manila participated for this annual event and all of the senior citizens did exercise to promote healthy lifestyle amongst older people. Other part of the program highlighted the timeless talents of older people through showcase of performances ranging from singing, dancing and acting. It was indeed a day of celebrating the value of older people in our society.

During this day, COSE together with around 300-400 older people from different Older People Organizations (OPOs) organized by COPAP joined this activity to celebrate and call for the government for further support for the older people, who during their physical prime, have contributed to the nation building. In lieu with this year’s theme, with the support of Age Demands Action (ADA), they walked together to specifically ask for the government to enhance RA 9994 by:

1. Increasing the budget of social pension for indigent older person
2. Lowering the age of beneficiaries of social pension to 60 years old
3. Conducting a review on implementation of the law 

Through these improvements, a better and dignified life can be attained for older people, especially the poorest of the poor.

Elderly Abuse: Profound within Families

‘’I live hopeless in my life and I am now 73 years old’’

I, Estella B. (not a real name), live in a small shelter in Barangay Batis, San Juan, and Metro Manila City, Philippines. I have three children and they are all married. I live with my youngest son who is a widower. My husband passed away in 1995 because of heart attack.

I am taking care of two grandchildren, my granddaughter who is 18 years old and studying at high school and the other one is 8 years old and studying at grade 2. Their parents were both arrested in jail almost 8 years now, because of drug abuse. Now they are out of jail and separated from each other.

My daughter in law, who lives nearby with another husband, always force me to give some money to her, but I don’t have enough money to buy food to support their two children who both live with me. Sometime they threaten me if I don’t give money, they would make me suffer more, and I cried many times, I don’t have any income for supporting myself and my 2 grandchildren. I live under the support from my second and third children amount of 300 to 500 pesos per month.

My eldest granddaughter, has been starting with drug abuse and I worry that she would go the same way of her parent’s life.

Now, I became an older person Organization (OPO) member since 2008, I am very thankful to Coalition of Services of the Elderly (COSE) and Confederation of Older Persons Associations of the Philippine (COPAP) and OPO that usually help me with some of food, blanket and given me a chance to join the OPO activity and I want to understand how to care for myself and my family. My involvement as well to several campaign activities like Age Demands Action (ADA) makes me feel that even life is difficult for older people, I am not alone, we are helping each other in pushing our aspirations.

I always pray to the god to protect our family and please all the bad thing goes away from us.

According to Dr. Clarita Carlos, “Unlike child abuse, to be able to protect abused elderly, the elderly themselves should report such incident before any action can be taken. Many abuses occur in different forms in their own homes, but only few would admit such circumstances. The victims are often silent or in denial. They are afraid to seek help and guidance from people who can help them. Thus, elderly abuse is still unrecognized in our country.”

There are a number of bills in the Philippine Legislature related to violence/abuse and the elderly. COSE's view is that causes stem more from structural rather than cultural causes and radical approaches call for supporting another reference group (other older people) more than reinforcing a still vibrant respect for older people. Older people are not likely to bring their own children to the bar of justice but are more likely to seek redress from their peers. Likewise, a community support group mitigates to some degree the results of rapid changes in the society.

Age Demands Action (ADA),a grassroots campaign that fights age discrimination and combats the
perception that older people are not important , perceives elderly abuse more distinctly as a violation to human rights whether physical, psychological, financial, sexual or a form of neglect. Unfortunately, this long standing issue of our older people that virtually occurs ubiquitously remains unreported and imperceptible to our shame-oriented society. _______________________________________________________________

Kov Meng, is an exchange staff from HelpAge Cambodia, who now works for the Advocacy and Campaign Department of COSE.

Age Demands Action Campaign Video

Ruperto "Berting" Garlitos, ADA Leader for this year, talks about the demands of older people from the government and how the recent advocacy campaigns of older people with the help of ADA, have changed the lives of older people. He also talks about how the younger generation can help this campaign and how they can start to invest for their future.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DX9A9eecPi4&feature=youtu.be

Berting Garlitos, ADA Leader for Older People

"My wife told me, I was born for the people.”

Ruperto “Berting” Garlitos, 65 years old volunteer community organizer, is this year’s selected ADA Leader. With his passion and dedication to community service through organizing, he was able to organize three older people organizations in their area that actively and persuasively push for the rights of older people.

In the beginning, Tatay Berting was discouraged to organize the sector of older people. His former co-workers view that there’s no sense of putting efforts in organizing older people because of their deteriorating conditions. He rejected this thought and proved them otherwise that older people are still capable of contributing to the society. He also sensed that this sector needs each other most, for there will be no one who will fight and push for their rights other than older people themselves.

Tatay Berting has started to join in organizing older people in 2009 and actively participates in mobilization and campaign activities of Coalition of Services of the Elderly (COSE) and confederation of Older People Association of the Philippines (COPAP). One of the key issues Tatay Berting and the thousands of Filipino elderly suffer from is the inadequacy of social pension for every older people. Employment discrimination is another issue of older people where once you get 50 years old, many job advertisements limit them from applying even their skills and experience meet the job requirements. This worrisome issue is worsened by the mandatory retirement, where the law provided that older people working must retire at age of 65, leaving them economically dependent to their families and lowers their self-worth. Furthermore, the health care system of the country is inadequate and insensitive to the health needs of older people. These are some issues that confront older people, despite the fact that they once contributed in the nation building during their physical prime.

Together with COSE and COPAP, Tatay Berting joins in several campaign activities raising the awareness of the older people and the general public. Through organizing, older people began helping each other and provided assistance to those who are in dire situation. Programs were planned and developed by themselves and tailor-fitted according to their needs and abilities. Older people helping older people have brought significant improvements in the quality of their life.

This year, COSE and COPAP would once again join government-proclaimed activity “Walk for Life”, to participate in unity walk with other older people and government institutions. Specifically, COSE and COPAP in partnership with HelpAge International’s global network campaign Age Demands Action (ADA), will be holding an Inter-Generational Concert. This concert aims to raise awareness on the rights of the older people and trending issue of elderly abuse which older people themselves are unaware of. It also calls the young generation to participate and involve in the advocacy of the rights of older people. “This event is important for us, for this is the only way the society would recognize the needs of the older people”, states Tatay Berting.

Being a volunteer organizer and chosen ADA Leader, Tatay Berting feels there are yet to be done. For him, it is a privilege to represent the older people and voice out their needs and violations to their human rights. Tatay Berting lamented, “It is not charity that we need, the society and the government should recognize the innate rights of older people.”

In due course, Tatay Berting hopes that the Philippine Government would deemed recognize that they have moral responsibility to take care of the elderly and ensure that the laws are properly implemented; review the social security for the older people; provide employment scheme that is within the capacity of older people; and provide old-age sensitive and responsive health care system. On the other hand, Tatay Berting calls for the older people to know their rights and actively assert these rights. He also entices the young generation to invest for older people advocacy, “for whatever they would do for older people, would be insurance for them when they get old”.

ADA Inter-generational Concert

 

Save the date for your Lolo and Lola, because on October 3, 2012, we will have an afternoon of song and dance to manifest the love of the youth and older people for each other. Young artists of song and stage will pay tribute to the "YOUNG ONCE" for their contributions to the society. Talented "young once" will prove otherwise that they can still twist their waist and hit a note!


We believe that a caring community would end abuse against older people, and it starts inside the family.  Older people have done everything for this society during their physical prime, let us give them back the respect and care they all do deserve. Support this event. See you at SM Fairview Activity Center!

"If you make the world better for elderly today, you'll have a 
better world to live in when old."

Chat with Tatay Rudy

Rudy Rafanan, a former civil engineer of DPWH way back in 1985. He resigned by the age of 52, and was supposed to be petitioned by his wife and 2 daughters who were at San Francisco, USA. Unfortunately, he was denied of his visa, and eventually lost all his possessions, including everything he has invested. With a handful of doubts with his story, I asked, "Why then you're living on the street and why won't your daughters give you a cent?", he just smiled back and said, "They've thought i was already dead." I have to admit, I thought it was just hallucinations he's having, not until he showed me his priceless possession, a valentine's card given by his brother, written are the contact numbers of his daughters, which with no hesitation, I offered my phone to contact them. It was a relief on his face when I said it was ringing. With few attempts, it was unanswered. I left a promise to him that I will try look for his daughter Nina, and I will come back for him, although looking for him in the streets of the metro would also be a needle in the haystack. I still at this moment trying to reach his daughter but to no avail.

An individual's ability to live long and a bountiful life depends, most of all, on the ability of the society for making such a life possible. Tatay Rudy, was just one of the thousands of homeless, ignored people we call begars or scavengers, that we with cameras like to take photograph with, but we never know until we ask, how in such notion we fail to recognize, it is not a choice they've made, it is not the life they've wanted to live.

Age Demands Action (ADA),a grassroots campaign that fights age discrimination and combats the perception that older people are not important , perceives elderly abuse more distinctly as a violation to human rights whether physical, psychological, financial, sexual or a form of neglect. Unfortunately, this long standing issue of our older people that virtually occurs ubiquitously remains unreported and imperceptible to our shame-oriented society. ADA aims to have little voices be heard by law makers and our dear politicians.