COALITION OF SERVICES OF THE ELDERLY
The Philippines is exceptional in its regard for older persons and one sees signs of it everywhere: the discounts at the drugstore, movie houses restaurants, etc., the special places at the banks, offices, supermarkets, buses, etc., and the common manifestation of younger people raising their hands to the forehead of older persons. Bills in the legislature have special provision to “capitalize on the experience and wisdom of older people and, most of all, the not rare occasion of a person dedicating her (usually female) life to the care of her parents (even to the degree of not marrying or pursuing a career!)
How then account for the fact that it is not unusual to see older people begging or that government and religious institutions are full to over capacity with older people who were wandering in the street. And more than one bill has been filed in Congress to counteract elderly abuse? (Can you picture a parent bringing his or her own child to the court of law because of having been abused?)
Our view of the seeming contradiction is that it is less of a cultural problem than a structural problem. The culture is by and large still intact (so it’s worthwhile but not really helpful to constantly stress “respect the elderly”), but the society is changing rapidly. There are 10 million plus Filpinos abroad — mostly young and predominantly women, the traditional care givers of older people; there’s a rapid rural-to-urban migration (almost 50/50 at present); and the simple fact that life expectancy has increased dramatically in the recent past. People are living much longer than they ever did in the past. Our solution? Older people need another reference group in addition to the family. Older people need other older people. Elder abuse will not be resolved by legislation alone (though necessary) but by solidarity with other older people. Primary health care will come from other older people (even with minimal formal education) trained by communityminded physicians (they call themselves “community gerontologists”) in using herbal medicine, massage, monitoring blood pressure, etc. Older people can become legal workers (trained by community minded lawyers) and advocates and homecarers, caring for the bedridden at home, managing income generating projects, or writing project proposals. The Hindu scriptures have it that every stage of life builds upon the next in increasing importance and as the poet has it, “Come grow old with me, the best is yet to be...”