SENSITIZE, SENSITIZE, SENSITIZE

By Wilhelmina S. Orozco

Our country, (or is it only in MetroManila?) is not yet mature in terms of dealing with some social issues in our country, like ageing. So many people, young and adults, are afraid of growing old, tending to put the elders down at every opportunity. For example, when paying the jeepney fare, although I have already said that I am a senior citizen, the driver would still not give me the exact change. Instead, I am given an amount equivalent to a regular fare. At some restaurants, when I complain why a certain dish looks having less vegetables than when the price is regular, I am told that that is how they are really prepared. So for the regular amount of P155.00 and for which I paid P110.00 as the senior discount of 20% and vat have been deducted, I am given a plate of rice with a sprinkling of veggies only. Oh, never mind, at least I get a bowl of soup. Then one time at a Makati bus queue, I went up the bus first. Without any sign of courtesy, I was asked by the driver in a highly authoritative tone, “Pumila ka ba?”as if I were one of those vendors going up to sell peanuts and mineral water bottles (not mineral but purified, distilled water). I answered. “Senior!” I recovered my composure though and told him, when I was already seated, “Bakit ganyan ang tono mo? I am a senior citizen, I deserve respect. Para kang nagiimbestiga ng criminal kung magtanong ka, a? Baka i-report kita sa headquarter nyo.” I knew that my words had hit him hard because of his facial expression. In fact, when I alighted, he had completely stopped the bus. You see Folks, other irked drivers would slowly drive the bus to a stop, but not completely, so you are forced to get off while it is still moving. Otherwise, the traffic lights would turn green and the bus would roll off to another stop, way beyond the stop where I had to get another ride home. A worse case of treatment of the senior citizens is what I got from the orange tricycles at one Puregold supermarket. The drivers there want P25 special fare, whereas the blue ones only collect P20. The orange and blue tricycles ferry passengers on alternate days. When I am forced to take the orange tricycle, I meet drivers who drive hellishly, turning left to a street even if the traffic light is green. Twice, drivers would move their vehicle while I am alighting, to make me off balance. Of course, I complain to the authorities, the barangay and even the Puregold management. But their actions are piecemeal – as these affect only one driver or two at a time. What is more important is for a notice displaying their pictures, Xerox of their drivers’ license, and a phone number to whom we can report them should they commit anything untoward. Some of the jeepney routes could have been applied for a long time ago. Thus they are short, making passengers take another ride to another destination. For example, going to Tondo from my place, I take the ride to the BalicBalic market, worth P20. Then I take a jeepney to Lardizabal, from where I can get another ride to Tayuman. From there, I get another ride to Pritil then to another stop where I can get to that loading station going inside the Smokey Mountain or Paradise Hts.. By the way, I find that name a subtle insult – how can condominiums standing on garbage waste be called paradise? They do not even have the amenities of a second class community – that of running tap water. Anyway, how many rides is that all in all? Six all in all, costing P55.00 (with a senior discount.) Return, another P55 and so P110.00 all in all. The other route, via Rizal Avenue is less than P3, but still it takes five rides, while the other is six. The effort is worthwhile because I can see how jolly the people are when they see me. The last two weeks, I have issued prescriptions of herbal healing actions for two sick people, cough, colds, and fever – Vitamin C (Thank God for generic medicines) to be taken four times a day, plenty of rest – both body and mind, breathing of fresh air, and drinking of glasses of juice and water. One has called me her mother when she got well. I can only sheepishly smile because I know that I am not a medical doctor but a doctor of education. That woman’s husband had earlier accompanied me all the way to a drugstore near Tayuman so we could purchase the Vitamin C tablets for her. Meanhile, the other patient has recurrent coughing. You know why, Folks? He can’t quit smoking; no matter how many literature containing the ills of smoking I have given, he still smokes. I think his level of smoking has reached the addiction stage. Unfortunately, the barangay does not have a program for curbing smoking, and other vices like gambling and alcholism. Many things are changing now in our country but the behavior of some authorities does not seem in sync with them. Positions are still viewed as power instead of service seats. They are there to serve, to wield power to ease the lot of the people. Maybe the Department of Social Work and Welfare has to come up with a manual instructing government functionaries, especially the Dept of Interior and Local Government, and the Department of Energy on how to think and be sensitive of the welfare of the Filipino people so that they could come up with policies, programs, and projects that would alleviate their problems of existence. The DILG must lead in teaching and monitoring the barangay activities on how far they have gone in reaching out to help and serve the people’s needs, while the DE must provide alternative fuel nationwide for the people to use instead of those highly-priced oil products. Yes, the Philippines is one big social welfare case. Sensitize, sensitize, sensitize.