Golden Acres, a haven for the elderly

Each of us has a favorite charity at heart. Some believe in building houses for the poor like Habitat for Humanity and Gawad Kalinga.  Others embrace causes for abused children like Bantay Bata, orphanages like Mother Theresa’s in Tondo or education for the underprivileged like the UNICEF. There is also the Elsie Gaches Village which provides care, training and rehabilitation to abandoned and neglected children with special needs such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy, visual and hearing impairment, mental retardation, autism and other related illnesses. There is also a Home for Girls in Marilac Hills, which provides care and rehabilitation for girls aged seven to 18 years old who are abandoned, maltreated, neglected, abused, victims of prostitution or in conflict with the law.  For older women aged 18 to 59 who are victims of abuse, illegal recruitment and involuntary prostitution, there is The Haven/Substitute Home Care for Women. These institutions (and many others) are listed under the Department of Social Welfare and the Bayanihang Bayan Program encourages volunteers to work in their various centers.

My friend Pinky Tobiano’s favorite charity is the Golden Acres Home for the Aged. It provides care to senior citizens, 60 years old and above, both male and female, who are unattached, dependent and needy. She has been visiting this home for the last 14 years almost on a weekly basis so that she knows the names of all the lolos and lolas there.

When her birthday was approaching in mid July, Pinky invited a few of her friends to join her at the Golden Acres to give cheer and comfort to the elderly. Who could refuse such a noble undertaking? Without thinking twice, Jojo Zabarte, Belle Manapat and I gladly committed to spend the day with her to bring cheer to the residents of this home.

Pinky already warned us what to expect. She was not exaggerating when she told us that the place was smelly, and some of the elderly are infirm and pitiful. One has to have the stomach for such a situation. There is one big room with rows of cots for those who can hardly get up. Their beds have no mattresses or pillows because they are incontinent and “do” everything in their cots. There are big tubs filled with water in the rows between the cots to make it easier for the caregivers to wash out the human debris of whatever form.

The elderly are segregated in different rooms. There are those who can still get up and walk around. One of the younger lolas was dressed up in red earrings and a matching bracelet; she told us she was ready to go out and dance. She must have been a dancer in her younger years. But the most impressive lola was Josephine Martinez who spoke perfect English. She was a former schoolteacher in Zamboanga and she told us that she even wrote a science textbook. Jojo Zabarte, who has a school, the Sacred Heart Academy in Novaliches, told her to look for that science book so she could use it in her school and give Lola Josephine some business. As we went around giving biscuits and drinks to the residents, Pinky introduced me to a lola with a scarf around her head; she looked like a fortune-teller. Sure enough, Pinky told me she was a palm reader. She read my left and right palms and surprised me with her accuracy. She mentioned to me past events that actually happened in my life, and told me that I have occasional bouts of asthma, lower back pain and indigestion. How did she know all that? It was mind-boggling. As if that was not enough, she told me to go into business that was food related. But not fancy food, she said. “Yung para sa masa na pagkain.” In other words, fast food. Then she sang for us a kundiman, and I must say, with her unfaltering vocal cords, she could guest on Aawitan Kita. Move over, Armida; here comes Pinky’s fortune-telling lola.

Pinky’s staff soon arrived and helped us distribute more goodies in another room. There was a man who could hardly hold the biscuit we gave him. One lovely girl from Pinky’s staff had to feed him.

There was a recreational hall donated by Louis Coson, and a chapel-cum-social hall nearby where a lot of lolos and lolas gathered. There was a blind lola whom Pinky is very fond of and she gave her a big hug. She requested her to sing for us, which she did, surprising us with her operatic voice. These lolas are so talented!

There is a sense of personal gratification in giving one’s resources to the underprivileged. But I realize that charity is not all about personal gratification. Such a mentality is “Let me write you out a check because it makes me feel good to do it!” 

True charity is giving one’s precious time to visit the old, the sick, the abused, the abandoned, the neglected, the exploited. There is a big divide between genuine compassion and show-off compassion. The former entails giving — not only of one’s checkbook but of one’s self. It means talking with the lolos and the lolas, giving them a hug, feeding them, listening to their woes, praising them for their talent, giving them T-shirts, slippers, blankets, and other basic needs; it means making a difference in the lives of these lonely souls who are already in their twilight hours, abandoned by relatives to a government-run home, some of them just waiting for their time to be called to the Pearly Gates. This has been Pinky Tobiano’s advocacy for the past 14 years. Every Saturday, the residents await Pinky’s visit, to bring them goodies and cheer. They proudly wear her T-shirts that say “PINKY CARES” in pink letters. Jojo, Belle and I committed to Pinky that we would do this with her every time she needs us. We have joined the bandwagon of the Pinky Cares Foundation because we care as well!

Golden Acres Home for the Aged is in Misamis St., Bago Bantay, Quezon City.