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.
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.
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