We caught Nanay Andang washing clothes outside her home the morning we handed her the packed goods which contain organic rice, milk, salabat, vegetables, liniment oil among the few.
The first thing she told us upon receiving, "hay sakto kaayo, salamat sa sayong regalo mag-90 na baya ko karong May 3' [I am very grateful for this seemingly early birthday gift, as I'd be turning 90 years old on May 3] accompanied with her joyous chuckle and contagious smile.
We greeted her an advance happy birthday. Her joyful seemingly giggling voice with a tint of pride because of her upcoming birthday is felt and heard when she told us, [lisod na baya karon mabuhi hangtud 90, salamat sa Diyos mag 90 nako karong May 3. Ako na lang gud buhi sa among mga mag-igsoon." [such a miracle to reach 90 as all other siblings of mine were already dead and here I am still alive. So grateful to God as I'd be 90 on May 3rd.]
Nanay Andang 89 years old, a widow, and lives with her son who's an on-call delivery boy in a local water refilling station (not even a contractual worker but an irregular worker of a water utility system) and a single Dad where his wife left him with a child. At 12 year old, the child would not even recognise her.
Her daily wage earner and single Dad son serves as her sole provider together with her 12 year old grandchild yet as COVID-19 changes everyday routines, work schedules and the economic set-up. Nanay Alejandra among the many elderly have to endure such difficulty and suffer differently.
In fact, when I asked her if she's able to grab a meal before doing the laundry. She told me, at times her neighbour whose like 3 steps away from her house gives her coffee to go along with the rice. (As usual, a Filipino main dish seems to be cooked rice or kanin). She also ate whatever is provided by her son whose not around as he is looking for food.
But at present, even her neighbours who are also daily wage earners like her son and/or got irregular jobs and survives with a combination of three jobs a day to cover a family's meal were affected as well. It's the reason, it's mahirap (difficult) to be mahirap (poor).
While the vulnerable like the elderly and poor tries to look at things in a positive light, the fact remains that the present pandemic health crisis have once again whipped us hard. Harder in a third world country like Philippines especially those whose daily survival depends by its daily wage.
Who will then look for the many elderly like Nanay Andang? How about those elderly who lives alone? Who will do grocery for them? How will they survive if they're providers were also barely surviving?
Pailig as its calls and responses on grassroots peacebuilding, and natural resource management towards sustainability, equitably response as situations requires. Where Peace also meant that community and families get to eat and have access to provisions of food along with opportunities to sustain themselves during crisis are among those that tries to extend few aid as our little resources allows. Grateful to the partnership of a few individuals whose hearts are as sold out as ours in embracing humanity.
Keep journeying with us as we continually pursues #ambag-solusyon: protect the elderly and
Together, let's flatten COVID-19!
by qml
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