Dreamland Aqua Park

Dapithapon

“A test of a people is how it behaves toward the old. It is easy to love children. Even tyrants and 

dictators make a point of being fond of children. But the affection and care for the old, the incurable, the helpless are the true gold mines of a culture.”

--Abraham J. Heschel

Most of us have this feeling of not wanting to grow old. Personally, growing old is one of my many fears. Hair loss, wrinkles, poor vision, lessened hearing ability and decreased functioning are just some of those many changes that comes with old age but it is not the reason why I am scared of becoming old. These physical changes are inevitable part of the aging process and everyone will experience it someday. 

What is it that I fear about growing old?

After watching the documentary film "Dapithapon", I was finally able to answer myself. Growing old alone is what truly frightens me! Having no one to share your sentiments in life can be very depressing and lonely. 

Looking at the life of Lola Anching and Lola Lydia on how in a very old age they still manage to earn a living is deeply hurting. With their condition, they should be just relaxing and enjoying the rest of their days but because of poverty they couldn't just sit around. Just like in the case of Lola Anching who is hoping to somehow help her family by selling goods in the street. I was greatly moved how she is sacrificing to sleep in the doorstep of their house because there was no more room 

for her to stay in.

The film does not only portray the issue of poverty but as well as the lack of care and concern of the

family for the elderly. It was also shown in the documentary the life of many abandoned elderly inside the home for the aged center wherein they are being taken care of strangers instead of their own relatives. Being part of the family, our grandmothers and grandfathers have the right to be loved and cared of.

Lessons Learned:

• Patience and respect is what they really needed. Taking care of the elderly will really test our patience so by putting ourselves in their position can somehow help us to understand them better. Let us make them feel that they are appreciated and well respected by listening in whatever they have to say.

• Be thankful for everything. In spite their unfortunate living condition, Lola Anching and Lola Lydia has still something to be thankful of: they are still surviving!

Care for the elderly: family or government's responsibility?

Both the family and the government have the responsibility of giving care and assistance to the older population. According to the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines Article XV The family Section IV, "The family has the duty to care for its elderly members but the state may also do so through just programs of social security. The government has vital role in encouraging the families to care for the elderly by formulating and implementing policies.

Should they be discouraged from earning their living?

The government has the duty to assist those senior citizens who still wishes to work and is capable to do so by providing them of information and services which will help them to be productive. Training programs to develop or enhance their skills will be implemented by some of the government agencies such as the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

If they still have the capability to work and if that is really what they want then let us give them the opportunity to be fruitful but not to the point that the burden of supporting the family for a living will still be on their shoulder.

other videos: 
Dapithapon (2 of 5)
Dapithapon (3 of 5)
Dapithapon (5 of 5)

References:

• Natividad, et al (2005). Caring for the Older Person. UP Open University.
• Philippine Constitutional Law. Retrieved from http://www.chanrobles.com/article15family.htm
• Republic Act no. 9257. retrieved from http://www.chanrobles.com/republicactno9257.htm

sorry dad. i came home late again.

that's the first thing i used to tell my dad whenever im late in going home. no problem anak basta safe kang nakauwi is his usual reply. he used to wait for me...and even how late it is already he would stay awake. he will wait patiently. i miss it dad...not the part wherein i made u so worried...what i miss is that the small talk we have after my gimiks. you would always want to hear almost everything that happened during the time i was out of the house...how i spent the day and night with friends...how i enjoyed....even how i came home drunk at times...even how non-sense it is you still have time to listen. i wish i could still share it with you dad....

........dad, i went home safe. u can sleep now...........

miss you. miss everything about you...

the story of us

i watched the movie "the story of us". It was actually one of my DVD collections but never did i try watching it.

the opening of the story is quite boring but it was actually a meaningful film for me. it was about a couple struggling to save their marriage for the sake of their children. They used to be a happy family before but complication arises. Arguments became part of their relationship until there came a time that they dont even want to communicate with each other anymore. they are just pretending that everything is okay in front of their kids. They did try to inform their children about it but unable to do so.

both of them used to remember about everything they had been through...happy and sad memories...

...in the end they realized that they still love each other and they are still willing to give it another try...still hope to live happily ever after...

i cant swim.

... i woke up suddenly. wahhhhh earthquake!. i thought it was just part of a bad dream. i didnt move an inch, i just stayed in my bed thinking if its real or not. it was not the earthquake that frightens me but the darkness in my room. Few minutes after it happened my dad was rushing out from his bedroom to check on me. i immediately went out of my room also. i sat beside him and we chatted for a awhile. He told me that he was too worried because "i cant swim!" waaaahhhhh. My dad is very futuristic. he was thinking of "tsunami". very thoughtful right.
anyway, dont know if i will be able to sleep again...

extremeness in life

when do you feel very pre-occupied? when do u feel u dont even know what is it that you feel? Dont know if its right to feel this way or not? How can you possibly cope up with the extremeness of what you are feeling?

how can you solve a problem when you dont even know what is it? dont even know how to describe it. dont know if its a problem or just part of our life we cant accept...

lots of unrecognized emotions, denials, sadness, madness, regrets, unanswered questions...all of which should be accepted even without undestanding it...without knowing why it happened for, why it happened now...for it will all be answered in God's time.

i missed you lola. luv u.

thank u so much

i came back last monday (20/10/08) but my heart and soul is still not over my vacation in d phil. ive been forcing my brain to accept d fact dat "the 1month" of freedom and getting together with frends and family, who i miss being with, was finally over. it seems dat it was just yesterday wen im packing my things thinking wat im supposed to do wit my unplanned vacation but back to reality, everything is just part of d memory, which will never be forgotten.

yah, i did enjoyed it so much that im still missing it so badly wishing i stayed longer there. well, unplanned things are really full of surprises. most of them were really suprised when i got der and dat made it very exciting...seeing their faces with shock..ow! ...

so to all my frends who i spend my time with during those times, thank u so much. i really did have a great time. and to those whom i failed to hang out with i'll make it up to you next time. see you then. mwah

marriage thing

well, recently, i saw this couple passed by in front of me as i was walking home. they haven't notice me at all. They were old (maybe around 60-70 i guess) and they were actually walking holding each other's hand. Buong time n pinagmamasdan ko sila ni minsan di sila nagbitiw ng kamay. ang sweet! Tanda na nila pero ganun p rin noh? hay, sino kaya makakasama ko pagtanda ko? when will i get married? at sino nmn pakakasalan ko?

Before, i use to tell myself many times that i will marry by age 25. i'm 22 already and by February 2008 i'm turning 23. gosh, 2 years nlng. Pano kung wala p ung right guy? pano kung anjan n pero di nmn pwede? Pano kung ikasal nga ako pero di nmn ako maging masaya? pano kung im not really meant to marry? ewan.

Bilis ng panahon noh? before i was just asking for a perfect and sweet boyfriend...

...ung parati kong makakasama,

...ung palaging nandiyan sa tabi ko kapag naiirita at badtrip ako,

...ung magbibitbit ng bag ko mabigat man o hindi,

...ung hahatid ako at susunduin kapag may mga lakad ako kahit super busy ng sched niya,

...ung magtitext ng "i love you", "gudAM", "gudPM", "eat ka na poh", "sweetdreams", etc.

...ung palaging may time para sakin
pero now iba na. mas higher level kung baga. gusto ko ung makakasama ko habang buhay. someone who will be a good husband and more importantly a good father to my children. we all want this right? perhaps kasi pag marriage n pinag uusapan ibang level nrin ng relationship. maraming pagdadaanan kaya dapat ung "partner" natin handa ring harapin kahit ano just to make the relationship work and save the marriage even when things seems impossible.
everyday i met different couples karamihan mga bata p...18 palng may asawa na...and mukha nmn silang happy with their life. it made me ask myself "am I too young or too old to get married?" I can't answer it. perhaps, being totally naive about this whole marriage thing i dont know. i really dont know.