The Truth behind Ageism

“That is why a social pension is a priority”

It’s only now that I am old that I realize to be old is to be useless. I often time have to ask food from my neighbors and if I get 20 pesos, then I get a can of sardines and we divide it for lunch and supper. I worked hard when I was young but now I need to beg to eat. Sometimes I borrow money and if I have the money, I repay what I borrowed but most times people know I don’t have the money to repay them.

Loreta Nikdaw, 94 years old and widow – Arayat, Pampanga

So that’s how it is, I am half blind and deaf and don’t have any work. I do have a senior citizens card but it’s not of much use.  To use a senior citizen card, you need to have money to begin with.  I cannot travel and I cannot buy medicines, so it’s not enough of much use.  When the excess vat (a one shot deal program) of the government was released, I was one of those who received 500 pesos and I used the money to buy food.

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My name is Beatriz Cortez and I am married and 73 years old, Tatalon, Quezon City

I’m not in good health and often feel dizzy and weak but my husband is in worse condition than myself.  His problems are mental.  One day when he was coming home from work, he saw a man killed by stabbing.  He has never been the same since.  Neither of us can afford medication.  After that he could not return to his carpentry work and I had to support the family.  I had to work and support us so I borrowed from the money lender to build up some capital for my selling business.  I borrowed from the money lender (5/6) and pay the interest everyday.

MY husband does have a pension but is very small, 1,100 pesos a month (US$22) It is not enough for our needs.  When our shanty was destroyed and my husband was hospitalized, I went to the money lender and exchanged my husband ATM card in order to get the money we needed.  The money lender will collect his pension for one year and it should be more than 14,000 pesos (US$280) but all we received was 6,000 pesos (US$120) because of the interest.  We will get the card back after one year.  We had no choice – we needed the money.

Both my husbands and I are members of the group of old people. My neighbors joined and convinced me to join too.  I like it because I can enjoy the company of other older persons and there are activities in the group.  My problem is that we cannot afford to pay the 12.50 per month (US$.25) because we don’t have enough money.  Sometimes we don’t have food to eat and the 12.50 is too much. I collect plastic bottles that people throw away and if I gather enough, we can buy rice to eat.

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My name is Nicasio Gomez and I am 90 years old originally from Batangas.  Because we were very poor, I never went to school.  I fought with the guerillas during the Second World War and I never actually saw the Japanese abused Filipina women, I knew they kept many in their garrison.  Once when we encountered a group of Japanese, I was not harmed but they killed my companions.  I will never forget the experience.  I am grateful to God for the gift of life.

Once, somebody (a veteran) came to our house and promised to process my papers to receive veterans benefits.  He took all the original papers I had but never came back.  I have never received anything as a former veteran.

We have four children and my wife stays with one of them and cares for the grandchildren in Bataan.  I am here with my son and daughter-in-law.  My son is a fisherman and we do not have a stable income.  If he catches plenty of fish than he can sell some and we have some money, but if only a few, then we cook them for our own food.   I can make stick brooms but it takes many months before I produce 30 pieces. If I have enough then I sell them for 15 pesos per piece.

Sometimes, when we have no food, we just sleep.  My grandson doesn’t go to school because he is taking care of ducks at a nearby farm.

I do belong to the Senior Citizens Group here and they don’t ask any fees from me because they know my situation. Despite of everything I’m grateful to God for this long life. If not for God, I would not be here.

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Bagasbas is an Urban poor Area near an abandoned airport in Bicol.  Somewhat distant from the main body of houses is a small broken down dwelling with earthen floor where Nanay Amparo Cuarez, aged 85 lives with her bedridden husband.  Three of her nine children live nearby.

When we were younger, my husband worked as a fisherman, a farmer and making nipa panels for a living.  I also worked on the farm and making nipa panels.  If we finished 100 nipa panels we could sell them for 200 pesos.  But then my husband became ill and eventually became paralyzed as he is now.  I myself am quite sick and weak and have difficulty hearing.  Our children help us when they can but they also are a very poor.  If they can plant some vegetables and harvest them, then they sometimes share with us.  The health center is quite far from here and even if we go there, they rarely have any medicine.  There is a home care assistant trained by COSE who comes regularly to look unto us and we are grateful for that.

We don’t receive any support from the government and I’m not aware of any benefits for senior citizens. There is no organization of older people in this place.  We don’t have any kind of pension because of the kind of work we did in our lives.  If we ever I get any kind of pensions, of course we could buy food and medicine. When people come to visit us like you and bring us bread, we are so happy and wish that we could stretch it to last for a long time.