The Bulacao awards and senior citizens

I was one of the awardees of the Sangguniang Kabataan of Barangay Bulacao, this city, recently. Attended by Mayor Tomas Osmeña, Congressman Cuenco, Vice-mayor Michael Rama and Councilor Joy Pesquerra, it was a landmark event in the barangay. Probably the first of its kind as a barangay happening, this initiative brought together a klatch of achievers representing different fields of endeavor.

There were educators, medical professionals, athletes, entertainers, government workers, religious personalities and even housewives, most of whom were in their early or late sixties.

Held during the Senior Citizens month, the activity was a fitting tribute to people who excelled in their respective careers and became catalysts for better community life.

Except for two or three persons, like former basketball ace Dondon Ampalayo and singing sensation Dulce Amor, most of the honorees were humble, simple folks barely heard of outside their barangay but were known for their integrity and commitment to service. There was a health worker, for instance, who for more than 20 years served as a clinical personnel faithfully ministering to the needs of the residents, particularly the underserved. Then there was also a City Hall man, now past 70, who still reports to office sans regular pay all because be wants to share with the younger workers his know-how on critical office work.

What a contrast to other retirees many of whom spend their time whining over personal problems! Sadly, these elderly people think of themselves as burnt out people no longer capable of putting their share of efforts to make life better. To them retirement is a complete relief from work, a period of idleness and non-involvement. Is it any wonder that they feel alienated from the mainstream of communal life?

Yet the elderly are "our best and finest", to quote Mayor Tomas Osmeña in his message to them lately. "They stand tall above us in their experience and wisdom", he added.

Yes, the elderly, especially those who used to hold positions of responsibility, are our crop of top minds whose expertise had been honed by years of exposure in their line of work. There is no reason therefore why senior citizens should think of themselves as society's unwanted baggage. The truth is, if only they would stop feeling sorry for themselves or complaining about what is not, but instead pool themselves together into a solid mass of social workers, they would be happier and feel more fulfilled.

Some three years ago I used to spend time with a group of government executives, all retirees, who formed themselves into a body under a set of officers. At first there were talks of service-oriented projects and much ado took place as committees were formed and tasked. Meetings after meetings were called. Plans after plans were crafted. But when the question of funding surfaced every one looked the other way. So despite the hassles nothing happened. There were of course the usual assemblies where speeches were heard extolling old age. But their projects remained unrealized. It turned out, as I suspected at the start, that the retirees wanted nothing more than a happy fellowship, a gathering of has-beens trying to comfort each other with their inadequacies.

That Bulacao affair, however, was more than a happy fellowship. It was a gathering of youth (the SK members led by chairman Karl Raymond Suarez) out to celebrate the achievements of their forebears (including barangay captain Celerino Cabangca). It was youth trying to pay homage to age, youth teaching their elders to cast their concerns outside themselves and care for others.

In a way, it was a lesson to the youth too, for what better way to kindle their aspirations than to show themselves some exemplars of self-sacrifice and service? With distractions swirling around them, the young are losing their dreams and the lure of material comforts has fostered greed and self-centeredness.

The Bulacao awards served to counter this trend because the event must have surely reached deep into the minds and hearts of both awardees and award givers.

For this the SKs of Bulacao deserve commendation.

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