“Success can only be measured when older persons would approach you and say that they bring their fellows because they like and appreciate the quality of our service. I want to manage OSCA as an office with a business-like management in which the marketing strategy ensures that it will provide the best quality service so that visitors, particularly older persons, would come often and bring more acquaintances. Like any other position, I admit that my new stint to the office may have some shortcomings, but I will try the best to prove the worth of where I am now.
I can say that my situation today compared in the past is a little bit better because my husband is currently working abroad and my children have all graduated in college. Back in the old days, our income was not enough; I only had meager salary as a teacher in private school and my husband was not working as a seaman yet. What we had back then was only a little milling business which helped in sustaining our needs. We had a rough life before but I thank God because we are now reaping the price of our previous sacrifices.
I am a certified homebody but I try not to always confine my life within the corners of my house and school. I have been involved in various socio-civic and religious activities. I got interested in such activities because I wanted to develop my personality and learn more knowledge while serving others. These are the reasons why I didn’t hesitate to accept the appointment to become the acting Federation Treasurer of Villaba Senior Citizens Association. This position is advantageous for me in helping find solutions to our organization’s financial challenges.
Now that I am already holding the position, I could tell that the situation and roles of OSCA was unclear to many. Although the Local Government Unit (LGU) complies the ministerial requirements to appoint somebody for the position, I observed that it has not been fully functional because the LGU does not empower the previous appointees to act in accordance with the roles and functions of the office he/she represents. This practice has weaken the capacity of appointees and become more dependent on the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) on OSCA matters. As a result, there was a time when the MSWDO staff who would take the initiative of doing all the activities that were supposedly sanction under the OSCA.
The main goal of my leadership is to create and implement programs recommended by Ageing sector organizations like COSE and HelpAge International. I know this will be possible because we have started that changes. Take for example the new OSCA room given by the LGU. In the past, we did not have an office or workplace to receive older persons, facilitate daily OSCA services, and conduct meetings and gatherings. Now, we are enjoying this cozy, age-friendly office solely for older persons federation. This has made possible because the new OSCA staff are informed of their roles and made necessary actions like lobbying to LGU and other stakeholders.
“A lot still need to be done to fix things in this office but we will do what needs to be done one step at a time. We continue to identify what are lacking to help us improve the programs implementation. Currently, the Senior Citizen’s identification card and benefits booklets are not given freely by OSCA. I aim to make this concern our main priority for resolution and make Senior Citizen’s ID card and booklets free to all older persons in Villaba. We would also like to improve our Health program particularly on delivering health services to older persons living in far-flung villages. We also long for a strong support for additional training and capacity building of Older People Organizations at the barangay level, especially among non-COSE project communities, to further stregthen their organizations so these can be more functional and relevant.
I hope one day our sector can have own recreational space like a permanent Day Center for older persons; that OSCA office, with the support of LGU, can formulate programs for livelihood (i.e. agri-related and micro-enterprise activities); and that the office to continue in aspiring for better health programs such as medical missions with Optometrist and eyeglasses distribution for older persons.”
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Before her appointment to the rank of OSCA Head, Mam Tepin as fondly called by many, was a teacher in a devout private Catholic school in the municipality of Vilaba. Her husband is working as a seaman. Their marriage gave them five children whom three already have their own family now, while the remaining two are still single and living with her.
Her day would start with simple things like doing various household daily activities such as housekeeping, cooking, and feeding the fighting roosters of her husband while her husband is working overseas. Most of the time, she would visit their family’s farm to oversee how their crops and domesticated animals are going.
Written by Rolando Pabio, Community Development Officer