This morning, as part of our community extension program, the faculty from our department, together with students and o
ther teachers from another department, went to Bahay Pag-Ibig which they call "House of Prayer."
Bahay Pag-Ibig houses 70 old people (50 female and 20 male) who no longer have relatives who can take care of them. They were already in the hall when we arrived. After giving all our donations (powdered milk and choco, canned goods, etc.) to the Director's office, we started with the program.
Seeing old people lined up for a short program -- some of them can barely move, some seem not to hear us, few are comfortably sitting on wheelchairs, some are still strong, some can barely utter words clearly -- made me realize how grateful I should be in life. It also
came to my mind how unfair life could be for people like them. I guess they also started their lives with their own families -- perhaps some of them even raised children. But now, they have no relatives to speak about. All they have are each other's company.
I learned from one of the staff there that they (the old residents) are not allowed to be visited by any relative -- if they still have any. Once they enter Bahay Pag-Ibig, they are considered to be alone in their lives.
For me, this is terrible -- where have all the children they've raised gone? Where have all their siblings been?
Of course, I am aware that each of them has his own story. In fact, I attempted to find out one story from one of them. I asked her how long she's be
en there and she said 3 months though the initial plan was for her to stay there only for a month. She also told me that she's going back home -- she lives in Angeles City -- by the end of this month because she doesn't like to stay at Bahay Pag-Ibig. When I asked her why, she just said, "Ayoko dito. Inaaway nila ako." She also said she, and not her sister, who volunteered to enter Bahay Pag-Ibig. "Ako ang nagpumilit pumunta dito. Akala ko maganda, hindi pala."
I wanted to ask more questions just out of curiosity. However,
with the way she has spoken, my instinct told me not to ask more questions because it seems hard to verify what she claims to be true.
In time, I knowI will also become old, just like them. But I am praying that my kids won't send me to a place like that.
********************
May isa pa akong naisip habang naroon kami. Habang sumasayaw ang isang matanda (siya yung nakasuot ng kulay asul na damit sa picture) na halos hindi na makatayo nang tuwid, naiisip ko, may mga taong katulad nila na mahina na ang katawan pero gusto pa rin nilang gumawa ng bagay na ikasasaya nila at ng mga tao sa paligid nila.
May isa pang matanda doon na kumanta nang nilapitan ng emcee. Nang kumanta sya, wala kaming maintindihan sa kinanta nya.
Sana nga lahat ng tao, lalo na ang mga malalakas pa, ay may kakayahan para gumawa ng mabuting bagay na makapagpapasaya sa kanila at sa ibang tao. Kahit hindi nila kayang gawin, ginagawa nila. Kung silang mahihina na ang katawan ay nagsusumikap kumilos, tayo pa kaya na malalakas pa at mas bata kaysa sa kanila?
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ther teachers from another department, went to Bahay Pag-Ibig which they call "House of Prayer."Bahay Pag-Ibig houses 70 old people (50 female and 20 male) who no longer have relatives who can take care of them. They were already in the hall when we arrived. After giving all our donations (powdered milk and choco, canned goods, etc.) to the Director's office, we started with the program.
Seeing old people lined up for a short program -- some of them can barely move, some seem not to hear us, few are comfortably sitting on wheelchairs, some are still strong, some can barely utter words clearly -- made me realize how grateful I should be in life. It also
came to my mind how unfair life could be for people like them. I guess they also started their lives with their own families -- perhaps some of them even raised children. But now, they have no relatives to speak about. All they have are each other's company.I learned from one of the staff there that they (the old residents) are not allowed to be visited by any relative -- if they still have any. Once they enter Bahay Pag-Ibig, they are considered to be alone in their lives.
For me, this is terrible -- where have all the children they've raised gone? Where have all their siblings been?
Of course, I am aware that each of them has his own story. In fact, I attempted to find out one story from one of them. I asked her how long she's be
en there and she said 3 months though the initial plan was for her to stay there only for a month. She also told me that she's going back home -- she lives in Angeles City -- by the end of this month because she doesn't like to stay at Bahay Pag-Ibig. When I asked her why, she just said, "Ayoko dito. Inaaway nila ako." She also said she, and not her sister, who volunteered to enter Bahay Pag-Ibig. "Ako ang nagpumilit pumunta dito. Akala ko maganda, hindi pala."I wanted to ask more questions just out of curiosity. However,
with the way she has spoken, my instinct told me not to ask more questions because it seems hard to verify what she claims to be true.In time, I knowI will also become old, just like them. But I am praying that my kids won't send me to a place like that.
********************
May isa pa akong naisip habang naroon kami. Habang sumasayaw ang isang matanda (siya yung nakasuot ng kulay asul na damit sa picture) na halos hindi na makatayo nang tuwid, naiisip ko, may mga taong katulad nila na mahina na ang katawan pero gusto pa rin nilang gumawa ng bagay na ikasasaya nila at ng mga tao sa paligid nila.
May isa pang matanda doon na kumanta nang nilapitan ng emcee. Nang kumanta sya, wala kaming maintindihan sa kinanta nya.
Sana nga lahat ng tao, lalo na ang mga malalakas pa, ay may kakayahan para gumawa ng mabuting bagay na makapagpapasaya sa kanila at sa ibang tao. Kahit hindi nila kayang gawin, ginagawa nila. Kung silang mahihina na ang katawan ay nagsusumikap kumilos, tayo pa kaya na malalakas pa at mas bata kaysa sa kanila?
*******************************
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