Accents
The young once
I'm on reverse mode writing this column—as if the closing remarks became the opening remarks. My task was to give the closing remarks to the joint meeting of both the Oton and the Brgy. San Antonio chapters of the Senior Citizens Federated Association of Iloilo, Inc. (SCFAII) last Monday, Aug. 25, at the San Antonio chapel.
Educational and entertaining were the two adjectives I used to sum up the assembly, making my part the shortest in the program. When my turn came, the chapel was nearly half empty because many of the "naga-sungkod, mga yang-ub, may bingaw, naga-lugom buhok, naga-pangantipara, may wrinkles, may diabetes naglakat na" (those with canes, deflated jaws, missing teeth, tinted hair, the bespectacled, the wrinkled, the diabetics had left already"). And so I said, and say it again "without fear of contradiction" that you cannot fight old age. Then the young ones, now they are the young once. The clock ticks and ticks incessantly. Not all the medicines can stop the creeping signs of the sunset years, rather, the flicker of our golden years. At most or at least, minimize the effects of old age as what science and cosmetics have been trying.
We can bring back the hands of time only in our memories and in songs that make us young at heart. The songsters in the intermission numbers did just that. The really young Genessa, daughter of Brgy. Capt. Paul Buenafe, was "imported" from the Oton National High School (ONHS) to regale the audience with Pangarap na Bituin, a most appropriate song for the elderly. Mrs. Angeles Montealto, retired teacher, kept us smiling with her beautiful rendition of Smile though your heart is aching. Obliging the calls for encores was Willy Fuentespina with his skill on the harmonica. Willy also gave us a health tip about overpowering bad energy that we will be doing soon. To use the stock intro to the final number, "the last but not the least" on the entertainment side was Brgy. Kagawad Boy Langusta who had the audience swaying to the tempo of his song.
Dr. Sally Carreon-Ticao, head of the Oton Puericulture Center, enjoined the seniors in promoting a clean, healthy environment toward the goal of establishing a TB-Free Philippines by 2015. Dr. Ticao happily informed how last year's high dengue incidence in Oton has dipped low this year. She mentioned foot screening in the Center and the plan to invite a diabetologist for further control of diabetes.
In a message, former Executive Labor Arbiter Rodolfo Lagoc spoke on abolishing the 12% VAT on medicines for the senior citizens or increasing the discount to 32% as what is being discussed in Congress. Atty. Lagoc stressed that senior citizens associations should campaign for the members to write their respective representatives to have the VAT on medicines abolished. SCFAII Pres. Alberto Legislador mentioned sending resolutions to the legislators in support for the VAT abolishment. On the other hand, SB Cesar Digao, chair of the Committee on Social Services, assured the passage of more beneficial ordinances for the town's senior citizens.
The different topics of Republic Act 9257 entailed informative discussions. SCFAII Vice Pres. Ramon Tabornal spoke on the requirements needed to register in the federated association and the benefits of membership thereof. My high school classmate and now fellow senior citizen, the former ONHS Principal Efrain Salcedo enumerated the items qualified under the 20% discount for seniors: medicines, lab fees, hospitalization, land & sea travel, food, hotel accommodations, agricultural commodities, etc. Also discussed were penalties on establishments who don't honor those discounts. SCFAII Auditor Paz Miranda detailed the acceptance of new members to the Mutual Assistance Service (MAS), the easy payments of P7.50/month or P100/year, and the entitlements thereof.
Deserving special mention for the well-balanced educational and entertaining gathering was Emcee Milagros Montalvo, slim and energetic as ever. As usual, motherhood statements spiced the speeches, but they were never more welcomed than by the young once who had and still have been mouthing all these platitudes to the young ones—to their children and grandchildren, and to their great grandchildren by the few great grandmothers in the audience. Like the parents of our yesteryears, former Elem. Principal and San Antonio Seniors Prexy Aida del Prado gave an inspiring message. I can't end this without mentioning the highly regarded past presidents of the Oton Senior Citizens Association (OSCA), the two venerables who threw in some words of wisdom: Messrs. Eliodoro Cofreros and Tomas Perez, both former school principals. Fitting opening and closing prayers came from Mrs. Corazon Tubola and Ms. Teresita Lipa, beloved members of the community.
Well, we have run the race and reached the finish line after painstaking years of kayod (earning our keep). To have our kids graduate is achievement enough. With a little more patience, persistence, and perseverance (one can never be redundant in describing a parent's sacrifice), some of us have sons and daughters who have attained higher peaks of education. What else can I say but a hearty SALUTE! to the young once.
(E-mail: lagoc@hargray.com)