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Heto ako...

Isa ako marahil doon sa napakaraming kumukutya sa mga estudyanteng kumukuha at nagbabalak kumuha ng BS Nursing. Ang nasa isip ko kasi tuluyan ng walang kinabukasan ang sinumang nagtapos ng BSN sa panahong ito. Tama. Isa rin ako doon sa mga taong nagsabing, "Never will I choose Nursing". Pero heto ako ngayon, isang student nurse.

Hindi dahil sa wala akong choice kung bakit ako napadpad sa UPCN. Binigyan ako ng dalawang choices : BA Phil Arts at BS Nursing. Dahil pangarap ko na maging isang health professional, pinili ko ang BSN. Sabi ko, "Sige. Kukunin ko muna 'to para makapasok. Pero pagkatapos ng isang taon, magshishift na ako sa ibang course" Iyon ang akala ko. :)

Ilang buwan pa lang ako sa kolehiyo at nagsimula na ang proseso kung saan nailalapit ko na ang sarili ko sa kursong aking kinukuha. Unti-unti na ring nawala sa isipan ko ang planong pagshishift sa BS Pharmacy. Sabi nga ng professors ko, iilan lang daw ang nagmamahal sa Nursing mula sa simula. Yung iba, napapamahal na lang along the process of becoming a licensed nurse. Yung iba nga dahil nakita nila ang "need" ng nurses sa bayan kaya nila kinalimutan ang kanilang matagal ng pinapangarap at ipinalit ang caring course na ito.

At ito na nga, napagisip-isip ko na itutuloy ko na ito. Wala ng urungan. Ano pa't natapos ko na ang isang taon. Tatlong taon naman na lang (sana.sana talaga) at magiging lisensyadong nurse na ako. Wala rin itong pinagkaiba sa ibang kursong naglalayong humubog ng mga propesyonal sa health/medical field. This is it. Kailangan ko ng paghandaan ang mas toxic na higher years. Pero bago 'yon, Org Chem at Math 1 muna ngayong summer. So help me God! :D

Anak, ano pa ba ang gusto mo?

Kanina, nakinig ako sa Siete Palabras. Ito ay isang programa ng mga paring Dominican sa Sto. Domingo na ipinalabas sa GMA7 bandang tanghali. Napakaganda ng mga ibinahaging pagninilay nilay ng mga pari. Ngunit, ang pari na nakapagbigay ng pinakamagandang mensahe para sa akin ay yung nagbigay pagninilay sa salitang "Nauuhaw Ako" ni Hesus.

Napagtanto ko na tama ang paring ito. Madalas tayong magreklamo. Hindi dahil ayaw natin kundi dahil tingin natin laging may kulang. Pakiramdam natin parang hindi sapat ang mga bagay bagay na mayroon tayo. Para bang hindi kumpleto. Para bang marami pa tayong dapat makuha at makamtan. Para bang lagi tayong nauuhaw.

Tama. Nauuhaw tayo. Ito ang dahilan kung bakit todo kayod ang mga tao sa pagtatrabaho. Trabaho dito. Trabaho doon. Tila wala ng bukas. Lagi tayong nagmamadali. Yung tipong laging may deadline ang mga gawain. Puro Go! Walang Red/Stop light para sabihan tayong, "teka, huminto ka muna. Hindi lang ikaw ang tao dito". Minsan, sa kahahanap natin sa mga bagay na sa tingin natin makakapagbuo ng ating mga sarili naililihis ang tingin natin sa isang natatanging bagay na matagal ng nakahain sa ating harapan.

Adding a Flavor of True Nationalism

"The Philippines one day will declare herself inevitably and unmistakably independent." This is a prediction in his Las Filipinas Dentro de Cien Años after thinking the possibility that Spain would not introduce unbiased laws and genuine reforms to assimilate Filipinos. He was right.

This man has emphasized the importance and advantage of a real fledging nation. This man is no other than the most revered hero who is said to be the primary cause of the dramatic and theatrical independence which we commemorate with pride and joy every 12th day of June. He is the ever-famous, Dr. Jose Rizal.

“What on earth has produced a man like him? At 35, he was a novelist, a poet, an anthropologist, a sculptor, a medical doctor, a teacher and a martyr.” (Jose, 1999) More than all of what he contributed to our curtailed yet rich history, his novels entitled “Noli Me Tangere” and “El Filibusterismo” had the most impact. It is because of these, they say, that the revolt against the Spanish supremacy broke out. These novels are products of his young mind that is capable enough for critical thinking. His vision transpired into writing which in turn emerged as the igniter of the whole revolution.

“Rizal’s choice of means were words” (Trillana III, 2007); words that came out not simply because he was uptight or because he eagerly wanted freedom. But it is a reflection of how education works. How powerful it is to do things beyond what is expected. In the revolution, education paved way as the grounds of the revolution and the latter as the foundation where Filipinos could build-in a truly independent Filipino nation.

As F. Sionil Jose (1999) once said, “The Revolution was our moment of truth; in that shining episode we defined ourselves and confirmed, not just our heroic and revolutionary tradition but also our continuous struggle for freedom. Our revolution laid down the foundation of a nation.”

On one hand, this is not the case in all events. Education during the American occupation was more of a colonizing tactic rather than an act of showing real friendship between the two countries. But, this is not what is needed to be talked about now. Instead, we should move the spotlight on the kind of education that is offered and received by the Filipino people these days. Leticia Constantino (1985) said that the youth of today “are being educated for neocolonialism, to accept our country’s assigned role within the global capitalist system as a source of cheap raw materials and cheap labor, and as a profitable market for foreign goods within an economy dominated by foreign investments.”

Though the so-called sovereign United States formally granted us our independence, we remain tied with them as if nothing happened in the past. The use of the English language as the primary medium of instruction fostered a colonial mentality in us which is still evident today. Elementary pupils and high school students are taught to be grateful that they were colonized, that they have this responsibility to regard the Americans as partners for peace and progress.

The kind of education we have now somewhat lacks the flavor of true nationalism. “Educating for nationalism means consciously educating Filipinos to BE Filipinos – Filipinos who will work for the Philippines and the Filipino people. To be pro-Philippines and pro-Filipino one must have national pride and a sense of national identity. Our present educational system promotes pride in our beautiful land, our tinikling and sampaguita, our Mayon and Banawe, our smiling people. It promotes national identity or nationhood, but nationalism is more than nationhood.” (Constantino, 1985)

“We are poor because our nationalism is inward looking. To repeat, neither education nor revolution can succeed if we do not internalize new attitudes, new ways of thinking.” (Jose, 1999) The situation calls us to do what Rizal did: use education as a tool in promoting nationalism more than loyalty and nationhood. Education has proven its role in Rizal’s time. Today, it is high time for us to do the same and finally end this unfinished struggle for independence.

What then?

“No rebellion fails. Each is a step in the right direction,” said Sakdal General Salud Algabre in 1935. This is true not only because we have been enjoying what our ancestors harvested after every revolution but also because their vision of a free nation was, for many, finally achieved.

Two uprisings happened in the same place in different times. In the well-known Highway 54 now named Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue or EDSA, did the Filipinos stage their detestation to a dictator and later to the leader of the “masa”.

The 1896 Revolution was a “rejection not just of tyranny but of colonialism” (Jose, 1999). Marcos was undeniably protected by the Americans. He was their prime instrument to continuously work with their colonial tactics beneath the ground in a way wherein the Filipinos would not recognize. Marcos, himself, never knew that he was betrayed by the Americans.

Change, which is what the Filipinos desired during those days, can be attained with a minimum of bloodshed. F. Sionil Jose stressed out that a “revolution need not even to have be bloody.” Many lives were lost in EDSA 1. And here comes the late President Cory Aquino who pompously spread throughout the entire world that she restored democracy in the country. What democracy is this? What were restored were mere rights that were prohibited during the Marcos regime: the right to vote, the right to make assemblies and the freedom of expression. Jose (1999) called these rights as the “empty shells of democratic institutions because the real essence of democracy does not exist here.” The real essence of democracy is equality.

“True to her oligarchic class, she declared a revolutionary government without doing anything revolutionary; instead, she turned EDSA 1 into a restoration of the old oligarchy” (Jose, 1999). This is why until today, we suffer the consequences of her negligence and folly rather than benefitting what initially seemed to be a victory.

Ninety years later, the luckiest man who sat as the 13th President of the Republic faced the angry firing squad. What made EDSA 2 different from the first is that the former was a peaceful movement. Blood did not paint the avenue red for the second time.

The second EDSA revolt was a rhetoric expression of the people’s hunger for genuine Filipino leadership. Estrada created an image of his own self as the President of and for the “masa”. As a result, many were persuaded by this political mask believing that he is the answer to their unending struggle against poverty and at the same time a struggle for equality.

Just like EDSA 1, nothing worth noticing changed after the drama. The system still works debasing millions of Filipinos from that day onwards. After what happened in EDSA in 1986, there was a regained hope for a new construction of a better democratic and republic government ran by a scrupulous leader.

However, years had passed and still, we cannot decipher the essence of these two revolutions. It is never enough for a person to know what happened. What we need is a full understanding of why they happened. As F. Sionil Jose (1999) said, “In our celebration of this Revolution, it is perhaps necessary to remind ourselves that beyond the festival tinsel; we should ask why we should remember at all, and what. If the past means something to us, it is because it reminds us of the good old days - their comfort, the wonderful times enshrined in memory. This is pure and simple nostalgia which does not have any more meaning than would a gargantuan feast, or some orgiastic experience that will forever haunt us with its magic. But beyond this, what then?” Exactly, what then?

NSTP - February 17, 2012

Today is the last day of the 2012 Student Nurses’ Week. Many urged me to leave earlier than the prescribed time. But, I said ‘No’. It is because I was not one of the players of the volleyball match that day and also because there were a lot of patients schedule on this day. I was shocked to see a crowd waiting in front of the IMed clinic’s counter on the ground floor of the Philippine General Hospital.

The thought that this is the second to the last practicum day for this semester made me even want to stay longer. I really enjoy helping the nurses there and seeing those patients who I saw weeks ago. We were like a staff that is in a hurry to finish things to meet a dreaded deadline. When I arrived, Ma’am Elsie immediately gave me the blue cards. She told me, “alam mo naman na.” And so, as usual, I numbered them and looked for the patient’s medical records/charts laid at a bench behind us. When I couldn’t find a record, I look at the blue card again and try to see if there’s a note that it’s on a “hold”. If not, I prepare locators and bundle all those blue cards then send them to the records section.

I stood up for a couple of hours writing, retrieving records, looking for lab results, and among others. Just a few minutes before I left the clinic, there was this woman who went to me and asked why she was not yet called. She even told me that they arrived at 5:30 in the morning. I told her that her mother’s chart/records is not in the counter yet and that we sent the blue card to the records section alongside with other patients’ blue cards. She raised her voice and asked how come the record of her mother was not there and yet they come to see their doctor almost every week

When the records arrived, I came to know that their last check-up was last 2010. And that was just shocking! A woman lied to me. Well, I cannot blame her or anyone because it’s part of the system. Records tend to be sent in the wrong place sometimes, but not all the time.

When we were done, Ma’am Elsie said: “Natapos din ang ka-toxican, ano? Akala mo walang nangyari.” She’s right! We were like very busy for quite some time and then all of a sudden you’ll figure out that you now have time to take a rest. It’s just like studying. Sometimes, I feel guilty doing nothing when I have free time. And so, I once again cleaned the table and arranged the records that were somewhat disoriented.

The program taught me how to easily adjust with people I do not know and it also gave me an overview of how clients behave and interact with nurses.

NSTP - February 10, 2012

There were only a few doctors who reported today. We finished earlier than expected. I did not find it hard to locate for the patients’ records. I guess I have completely adjusted with the system of that clinic. I felt like I really belong in the system now. We have 2 weeks left to serve in the clinic and this made me more eager to acquire more knowledge and lessons that the experience offers.
Jessica shared what she experienced with the patient that she assisted a few minutes before we left the clinic. Because of that, I remembered what happened the previous practicum day. Ma’am Elsie and I were numbering the blue cards when she saw a 50 Peso bill inserted on one of the cards. She ignored it at first and continued to number the blue cards. Afterwards, she announced that there was a bill inserted in one of the cards. Whoever owns it may claim it immediately. Nobody approached us in the counter and the money was left on the counter untouched.
I realized that it was maybe a tactic of one of the patients for him/her to be processed first. But, I am glad that cheaters are never welcome. How I wish all our agencies are like those who are in UP-PGH: honest and professional.
These two are of the many things I need to sustain, if not develop further, in order for me to fully grasp the nursing profession. Professionalism comes hand in hand with honesty. It is but important to do work ‘fairly’ and ‘just’ even though they are small things. Our country has a brighter future. I believe this dream will be realized someday with all the people like Ma’am Elsie who remains to be honest no matter what the circumstance is.

NSTP - February 3, 2012

Usual activities were done this day. But work was much easier because there were only a few patients scheduled that day.

Today, there was a long break between the first and second batches. I was left on the counter together with Jessica.

Some patients asked me some questions and I tried my best to answer them.

A few minutes later, the area was relatively calm. And so, I decided to clean the table, arrange the records and also the lab results.

NSTP - January 27, 2012

The activities I did on the 3^rd day of our NSTP Practicum were the same with those given to me the previous weeks. This was not a problem for me because I have now adjusted with their system. I was glad that this time I found patients’ records and charts quite more easily.

A nurse taught me a technique for locating charts that were not arranged systematically. She told me to memorize the last 3 digits of the patient’s case number in his/her blue card so that when I’m looking for record in a pile of records I’ll just look at the last digits. The technique was really a big help!

One thing that I learned this day is to thank people no matter how small the act was. All the nurses expressed their gratitude to me (as well as Jessica) when I left the clinic. They told us that they were lucky to have us every Friday - the day where the most number of patients are scheduled. Again, I’ve proven that small things matter. Sometimes, they even matter the most rather than the big ones.

Perhaps this lesson is but important to note. Nothing will be lost when you express your gratefulness. After all, saying “Thank you” is not a hard thing to do. Is it? J

NSTP - January 13, 2012

The 2^nd day of NSTP Practicum in the IMed section was again fun. They told me to number the blue cards which were dropped by patients in designated boxes. Three boxes were available that time labeled Renal, Diabetes and Cardio. I helped three nurses in numbering the blue cards. The number system, as I see it, was a move to make the processing of papers easier and faster. But it turned out to be a little useless for some patients whose charts were lost or cannot be found.

I’ve seen a huge number of patients with their families clamoring for an inexpensive health service administered by competent health professionals. This maybe is what PGH is for. It’s the hospital of the Filipinos for the Filipinos.

Patients, if not their relatives, seem to be a little impatient and ‘makulit’. After they’ve asked you twice, they’ll ask you a couple times more. They worry that their doctor might not be able to see them or be stuck in the hospital for hours. I continuously tell them that they must wait for their names to be called. It is good because they were nodding and saying ‘okay’ to agree with me. I’ve not encountered a patient who’s disrespectful enough. I understand what they’re going through. And that’s what I learned on the 2^nd day.

As a future nurse, I train myself to communicate with the clients as if I am one of them. I try to put my feet in their shoes. It is in this way, I guess, that I can understand them. Impatient they may seem, but with effective communication skills, no life is hard enough to manage.

NSTP - January 6, 2012

We arrived at around 9 o’clock in the morning in the Internal Medicine section of the Philippine General Hospital. Our clinical instructor led us to what seems to me like a reception area where nurses, I suppose, were continuously talking and looking for whatever the patients need before they see their doctor.

I went to join the nurses in what they call ‘special’. At first, I do not know what to do and how to ask what am I going to do that day. They had no time to talk to other people. But, a nurse told me to help them look for laboratory results in a box with partitions labeled with all of the alphabets.

I found it hard to locate some of the results. First, because even though the partitions were labeled with letters some results were still misplaced. Second, because some names were misspelled. Some first names became surnames. But I managed to locate them despite the conditions stated above.

With this experience, I realized that two of the things a nurse must possess must be patience and initiative. Patience for him/her to be able to do work without complains. Patients seem to be impatient and who else would first understand them except nurses? Initiative so that the work that needs to be done but cannot be done by someone assigned will be done by someone else.

With the help of Jessica Rañola, I arranged the laboratory results alphabetically until 11 o’clock came. My first day in IMed was fun especially because it thought me two things vital for my formation in becoming an effective nurse in the future.

How Culture and Society Affects Our Understanding of Genetics

Genetics – this is the word that we use to sum up all the things that pertain to our genes. It is the study of heredity and how qualities and characteristics are passed on from one generation to another by means of genes. People normally have different notions of what it is all about. Cultural diversity is one of the reasons why each of us has our own views and opinions on certain topics or issues that we encounter.

Let’s take the Filipinos as a subject to further recognize how culture and society affects our understanding of genetics.

We are already in the 21^st century and many of us, if not all, still believe in the existence of mythical creatures and traditional do’s and don’ts we termed as “pamahiin”. These beliefs were in the system of the Filipinos since then which is the reason why we do not accept things in the scientific world as true easily. We have imprinted in our minds things that we consider true and valid because our elders say so and disregard new profound things that lie in front of our tables.

This is proved to be true by the issue on the RH bill which has been a hot debate topic for years. The Philippines was divided into two. One group goes hand in hand to support it while another does everything possible to stop it. This is how it goes with genetics. I suppose all societies have this kind of division and that only about one or two would have a general stand. But this is sometimes not even imaginable.

We cannot really say which culture affects our understanding of genetics. Is it the old culture or the new? Some of us still live in the old one. They are the people who cannot accept new things and stick with what they initially know. The new one that I’m pertaining is the current culture that we have. We are the generation who lives in a culture that clamors for more knowledge. We are drowning in information yet still starved for knowledge. We want knowledge to overflow.

The Philippines itself is culturally diverse. The country is made up of islands making us, its citizens, have different kinds of customs and traditions. Say for example in the Luzon island, we have a lot of provinces subdivided into towns or cities and then barangays and villages. In every town or barangay, for instance, our elders were brought up with ideals that were handed to their parents by their grandparents and great grandparents. These ideals affect our views of things just like genetics. What I’m pointing out here is that our families are primary reasons why we are who we are now. Our families influence the way we think and perceive things. But one family differs from another. A family in the Ilocos region might think that genetics could increase the yield of their tobacco crops while another from Sulu may think it is just a waste of time.

Within the society is the Church. This has greatly influenced the practices and beliefs of societies. I believe this is essential to point out in this paper. When “Dolly the sheep” came out, religions and Churches urged their faithful followers to go against cloning, genetic engineering and anything that alters the natural way of life. Many were made to believe with what the Church said on the issue. This increased the number of those who do not want anything that relates to genetics.

On the other hand, we have other people within the society who are in favor and in support of such things like genetics. Some of our politicians and some private organizations advocate the proliferation of genetics as a possible solution to social and health problems. With their ‘sales talk’, many are called to believe what genetics is in another view.

To sum it all up, when we break down our society we will see different groups that influence our understanding of genetics. Culture also plays a role. What we have in mind since we were born may dictate how we perceive genetics. But, it is all up to us whether we let our society and cultures affect our understanding of genetics or not.

MY FAMILY: A FILIPINO FAMILY

I. The Filipino Child

At present, we have a young generation. Why young? It is because we have more young than old citizens. One of the reasons behind this is perhaps the inability of many Filipinos to resist temptation or sexual urges especially those in the slum areas. But a young generation is not a threat at all. One of those thousands or else millions may possibly turn the current table upside down.

A Filipino child is normally raised in a typical home with a mother and father together with his/her siblings. The development of a Filipino child is the same with any other children in the world no matter what race they are in. What makes a Filipino child different from others depends on the family and his/her environment.

I always believe that who I am now was pre-determined and influenced by my experiences. I grew up in a simple family who is happy even though we only have a can of sardines for lunch. My parents raised me the way their parents raised them.

“A” – this is what they first taught me and also perhaps what all other parents taught their children in the pre-operational stage. I won’t give myself as an example. I’ll set my cousin who is now a Kindergarten pupil. I saw her grow physically, speak her first words and walk her first steps alone.

I was a grade six pupil then when she was born. This baby was different from us and our first degree cousins. She had a curled hair! Then our elders told us the reason why. Our late lolo, who we never met, also had a curled hair. “Wow!”, I said. She inherited a recessive trait.

Weeks passed, she was able to make little/weak sounds and move her head independently. Several months were removed in the calendar and there she is, crawling towards us with a big smile. Eventually, she stood up and started walking.

What amazed me was the way her speaking skills developed. We never talked to her in baby talk. We talk to her the normal way. She ended up speaking to people straightly a little bit earlier than other children.

These developmental stages are observed throughout the world. But what makes my cousin, a Filipino child, unique from others? The answer is simple. She grew up the Filipino way.

They always say that children tend to imitate what their elders do and say. This is true. In my cousin’s case, she began telling bad words which she thought were good. She got those words in their neighborhood. She changed when she started staying in our house every day. We always tell her what the right things to do and to say are. The bad words were eradicated in a short time. This proves that the environment plays a role in one’s development.

A Filipino child is not that different from others when it comes to the cycle of development. It’s the values that were taught to Filipino children in the house, school or neighborhood that distinguishes them from others. Filipino children are taught to be respectful. Parents always tell their children to say ‘po’ or ‘opo’ and to do the ‘pagmamano’ act whenever they meet someone older than them. This value, alongside with the strong love for the family, becomes tattooed to the personality of a Filipino child and will forever be with him until he grows old.

II. THE FILIPINO FAMILY

The Filipino family is normally an extended family. We have our closest relatives like our lolo, lola, tito and tita with us. We also interact with our farthest relatives. Even though we seldom see each other, when somebody needs help the rest of the relatives offers out helping hands. But today, this is not the case for some Filipino families. They’re ready to kill their relatives in exchange of their selfish desires.

There are a lot of innate Filipino values and traits that every Filipino family continuously passes on to the younger generation. One of which is hospitality. Many, if not all, are hospitable. We seldom refuse someone who knocks on our door. We always treat visitors as family members and vice versa. I think the idea that giving a visitor or a stranger a warm welcome is a courteous thing to do is imprinted in our minds.

Our family is an extended family. We have our grandmother and aunt with us. We are very close. We openly share what we feel about certain things like issues that bombard the society almost every day. We exchange stories especially during supper when the family is complete.

We have traditions and customs like any other Filipino families. One of the best occasions that bind the whole family together is Christmas. It is this season that we enjoy the most. Our parents have vacation too like us and that means they have time to bond with us.

Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve are the two highlights of the long Christmas season for me. It is during these nights that we help one another in accomplishing our long to-do-list. But what’s important is that we are complete and that we enjoy the company of one another.

This is what I think the signature mark of every Filipino family. Take everything that they have and leave them complete. That’ll make them happy no matter what happened. They would simply say, “Ang mahalaga kumpleto tayo”. Truth to tell, we are never at ease unless we are sure that at the end of the day, before we go to bed, our family is complete.

III. COURT & MARRIAGE

In my opinion, the Filipinos are one of the most dedicated and most serious when courting somebody who they wanted to be their partner in life. But the traditional ways of courting are now set aside by boys who find them too primitive or corny in some way. On the other hand, there are still many girls who prefer the traditional way of courting.

One of those ways is singing a serenade or what we locally call “Harana”. I can’t remember my parents telling me that my father serenaded my mother. Maybe he really did not do it. Did he? I have no idea.

As to what my parents and aunt told me, my father did a great job in courting my mother. I think they met in school and it is where their love story began. One night, my father went to my mother’s house a few barangays away from their house. He insisted to visit my mother late at night. The elders were annoyed then. A grandmother opened up a window and threw a pail of water to my father in her disgust. That was heroic for me. I cannot imagine myself in that situation for now. In the end, all the thoughtfulness, care and love that my father showed was in return given back to him by my mother. He was successful. They ended up in marriage.

Marriage in the Philippines is not a trend and not as easy as those in Las Vegas. You need to attend seminars, pay fees and prepare many things to make that one special day worthwhile. However, I’ve come to know that some marriages were done not because the couple really loves one another. It was done because a human’s forming in the woman’s womb already. For us Filipinos, we often have negative connotations on women who have a child and were left hanging on air by the child’s biological father.

My father and mother are almost 21 years married now. They got a strong relationship. My father stands as the primary breadwinner. My mother also works but mainly takes control of the family budget.

There are occasional misunderstandings. In a year, there are only about two or so. These small fights end up at the end of the day. They solve them before going to sleep which is good so that when the next day comes, everything is back to normal.

Marriage for Filipinos is sacred. It is a sacrament that needs to be respected. This is possibly why almost all Filipinos fight for their marriage even when there’s no more hope left.

IV. AGEING

When we speak about ageing two things come into my mind: first, the literal definition of the word ‘ageing’ and second, the idea that somebody who ages matures and sometimes not.

We add up a year in our age during our birthdays. Some would probably base the meaning of the word ‘ageing’ in terms of the number of years they have spent and continuously spend in the span of their mortal life. On one hand, ageing is really about a person who grows old and becomes worn out. We normally think that it is the word which describes a body that is less healthy or efficient.

As an extended family, Filipinos usually live with their ageing parents or grandparents. It has been a custom for us to take care of them when they reach their final years and cannot portray the role they had before. When a person started ageing, he/she starts to become a child once more. This is because he/she goes back to the pre-operational stage not because they do not know but because they are too weak to do them.

What I’ve observed with my grandmother is that she had become a deaf to some degree. She is not a complete deaf. It is just that she cannot hear what were saying sometimes. We need to tell things close enough for her to hear them. Add to that is her sense of sight. She is not entirely blind but I know she cannot see things as clear as I can see them.

I’ve read some books telling its readers that ageing people tend to wake up early. I personally believe in that statement. My grandmother’s room was beside mine and so I can easily hear little noise especially at night. I got annoyed way back in high school for she wakes up as early as 3 in the morning. She opens up the terrace door and fixes her things. This is her routine every single day. As a student, it was not hard for me to understand her.

My grandmother goes to the Church and hears mass every day. I thought it was absurd for an old woman to hear mass so early. There are no means of transportation at this time of the day and the only way for her to arrive at the destination is by walking. I also attend dawn masses when I was in the province. In my astonishment, 90% who attends the mass are ageing people - our lolo’s and lola’s. I suppose they all wake up early like my grandmother and there’s nothing else for them to do but to worship the Lord.

Like infants, people in who are ageing tend to be more susceptible to illnesses than those who are in the adolescent to early adult years. In fact, my grandmother catches disease easily than anyone in the family even though she drinks supplements and other vitamins.

What dictates the role a person who is ageing will portray is his/her state in health. They’re stage is as crucial as to the stage of infants and young children.