the sunny side of senior life
GROWING old has its ups and down. For the most part of senior life, all you have to think of is enjoying time with family and friends doing a variety of fun and worthwhile activities. But with a fragile, ageing body, the things you can do are now limited compared to when you were younger. Where can you possibly spend your senior days and have an enjoyable, productive, and worthwhile life?
Sunshine Place Senior Recreation Center was established in 2014 as one of the projects of the Felicidad Tan Sy Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by the wife of SM Group founder Henry Sy, Sr.
“The foundation wanted a place for seniors to be active, where seniors can have social interaction and build relationships through the groups and cliques they form,” Sunshine Place center head Gilda Reyes.
Each of Sunshine Place’s floors serves a specific purpose. When you enter the building, you will be greeted by the Happy Garden Café, a restaurant operated by renowned catering service Bizu Patisserie. It serves a delectable selection of appetizers, salads, main entrees and desserts. It’s also a place where Sunshine Place members can socialize over a hearty lunch or afternoon snack.
Among the several senior members of Sunshine Place who are enrolled in the painting class is 85-year-old Edgar Young. Upon recommendation from his doctors at St. Luke’s Medical Center, his daughter Amity brought him to Sunshine Place to keep him busy and to challenge him. “Guapong,” as Edgar is known to the other members at Sun- shine Place, used to be very masungit or irritable. But after regular painting classes with artist Fidel Sarmiento, president of the Arts Association of the Philippines, he is now fun to be with. He now gets along well with the other seniors as well as with his grandchildren.
Aside from painting, other art classes that members can enroll in include porcelain painting and ikebana or Japanese flower arrangement. Apart from art lessons, there are also writing, Spanish classes, piano and voice lessons being offered.
If you’re keen on maintaining your health and physicality, Sunshine Place also offers a variety of classes that involve physical activities. On the Dance Studio, on the fourth floor, you can learn chair dancing, ballroom dancing, tap dancing, and Yeba! from popular choreographers Danny Vinculado and Brando Balmedina. The dance studio can also be rented for group dance practices or recitals.
Sunshine Place also helps develop its members’ sense of inner peace and mental potency. Hence, they offer qi
gong, tai chi, and elderly yoga classes. Sr. Mary John Mananzan, OSB also conducts shibashi classes, which combines qi gong and tai chi with prayer meditation and spiritual talks. On the roof deck, there is also a chapel where weekend mass is held. It can also be rented for birthday parties or social gatherings. Sunshine Place also has a gym, spa and hair salon where members can exercise, relax and get their hair style done.
Among the members who enrolled in chair dancing, tai chi, and shibashi is Fe Fernando-Flores, who had a friend who used to go to a dance studio with her and recommended Sunshine Place to her. Because of a knee injury, she stopped dancing, but when she came to Sunshine Place, she slowly regained her ability to move and dance. She’s even made several new friends.
“What we try to espouse with these activities is a holistic experience that targets the mind, body, and soul of our seniors. We find a sense of purpose helping others, especially the elderly, in this manner,” says Cris Moreno-Cruz, marketing manager for Sunshine Place.
Growing old has its ups and downs. Regardless of your circumstances, you can always get the most out of your golden years with the help of Sunshine Place and enjoy the sunny side of the senior life.
For rates and other information about Sunshine Place, call 856-4144, 856-4162, or 0917-5155656. You may also visit www. facebook.com/SunshinePlace56Jupiter.