Marilyn G. Maghirang, 66, affectionately known to her community as ‘Tita Malyn, Tya Malyn, or Ate Malyn, ’ lives in Sinuknipan 1, Del Gallego, Camarines Sur.
She grew up in a large household as the sixth of twelve siblings. In her younger years, she took on various jobs to help support her family – working as a seamstress in Taytay, Rizal, and earning an income as a laundrywoman. She also braved grueling farm labor, doing weeding and taking on daily-wage agricultural work.
However, in 1993, she chose to become a volunteer Barangay Health Worker (BHW) – a decision that gave her life a completely new direction. As a mother of three, juggling her duties as a BHW with her family responsibilities was a heavy demand.
“Back then, transportation was incredibly difficult. We truly had to walk long distances just to reach people’s homes,” Ate Malyn shared. “Many had no access to healthcare services, so as BHWs, we brought the medicines, medical supplies, and other necessities directly to the patients in their homes.”
When the Coalition of Services of the Elderly (COSE) arrived in Camarines Sur to implement its project, Ate Malyn stepped up as a homecare volunteer in Barangay Sinuknipan 1.
Through the project, she and her fellow homecare volunteers underwent various capacity development activities, including geriatric care and basic life support training.
“It’s wonderful because even though I’ve attended many trainings in the past, I still learned so much from COSE – especially on how to properly care for older persons and their needs. Before, our focus was mostly on children and pregnant women; now, it is more on older persons,” Ate Malyn happily shared. “I also met a lot of new friends.”
The support from the project did not end with training and seminars; it also came with the physical tools necessary to make a difference.
“What’s even more wonderful is that after our training, we homecare volunteers were given medical kits to use when visiting senior citizens who are sick, bedridden, or living alone. We now have our own blood pressure apparatus, pulse oximeters, and weighing scales.”
However, beyond gaining knowledge on proper care for older persons, Ate Malyn also learned about the various laws and privileges for senior citizens through the orientations and seminars provided by COSE. She realized that health and rights go hand in hand.
“Of course, whenever I visit the senior citizens, I also share what I’ve learned so they can be fully aware of their rights,” Ate Malyn explained.
Through her house visits and the seminars she attended, Ate Malyn admitted that she has gained a much deeper understanding of the distinct struggles faced by older persons like herself.
“I’ve developed a much deeper empathy for my fellow senior citizens,” she explained. “Some of the older persons we visit are living in extreme poverty with almost nothing to eat, while others are sick but cannot afford medicine. That’s why, even when it’s raining heavily or intensely hot, I make sure to visit them. They truly look forward to our visits – sometimes, they just want someone to talk to,” Ate Malyn shared.
Even though the long walks are exhausting and there are times when her 66-year-old body feels ready to collapse, Ate Malyn remains deeply committed to her role as a homecare volunteer and Barangay Health Worker. “I feel so happy whenever I visit the senior citizens, talk to them, and see them smiling,” she shared. “It’s as if all my exhaustion and bodily aches just disappear.”
“Being a homecare volunteer and a BHW is not just a job – it is a lifelong mission and a calling from the heart,” Ate Malyn shared. “I am willing to do this for as long as I can.”
Written by Jaime V. Catubig
