An Encounter with an Elderly in Barangay Bacuyong

Bacuyong, Pinan, Zamboanga del Norte - The story began sometime in November of this year when I met an elderly man who I came to conveniently call as “ Tatay Porperio.” He was one of the several elderlies who were in attendance during their monthly general assembly involving all the senior citizens of the barangay.

That week, it had been raining so hard but thankfully so it stopped an hour before the gathering of the elderlies took place in the covered court of the barangay. It was a lovely day meeting almost all the senior citizens of the barangay (including Tatay Porperio) who were so full of life despite their advancing age. Unfortunately, although quite expected already, most of them are hypentensive.

To cut the story short, everyone had a great day except for Tatay Porperio who after the said meeting, decided to stay and sought consult with Gen and Aiz who were on duty in the barangay health center that time. It so happened that these two were most concerned in TB case finding and Tatay Porperio’s chief complaint was four months duration of cough accompanied by an intermittent moderate fever. Gen and Aiz made an interview with him as I was keenly observing the elderly. Judging from his “unusual “slowed movements, I could clinically tell that something was wrong with him.

Tatay Porperio is an 89 year old elder who got separated from his wife dating back 20 years ago. Basing from the stories related to me by the barangay residents who personally knew him, his wife allegedly took advantage of his financial resources and left when she could no longer benefit from him. It was a sad and a bitter reality that pained me so deeply upon hearing this.

During his consult, I could certainly describe him as an old sickly man with a truncal body prominence. To communicate with the old man, his seemingly incomprehensible language (plus he spoke in Bisaya, a vernacular that I am still in the process of learning) sort of irritated me. I left leaving Gen and Aiz do their job. The two suspected that Tatay Porperio might be suffering from tuberculosis considering the duration of his cough. If it were pneumonia, he could have been dead already. He was referred to the Rural Health Unit of Pinan for further medical evaluation.

Several days later, he came back to the barangay hall looking for Gen and Aiz. His presence that time ignited my curiosity as to his very purpose of coming back. Gen, who had a working experience in dealing with the elderlies in one of the home-for-the-aged centers in Zamboanga City, entertained him as Aiz was busy doing some paper works for the CHP paper. He and Gen had a talk that lasted for almost 30 minutes and soon after which, the old man left. Gen related to me that Tatay Porperio did heed their advice of seeking medical consult in the RHU to which he was advised to be admitted at the Pinan District Hospital. Accordingly, he was more than willing to undergo medical treatment for him to get well but decided not to because no one will take care of him (since he lives alone) and added that someone has to look for his house should he will be admitted in the said hospital. Upon hearing this, it melted my heart and could not help but to take pity on the old man. His desire to live is so strong but unfortunately he does not have anyone to look out for him.

During this time, it was I and Gen who started showing interest in knowing the old man more that Gen decided to include him in one of her individual health care plans. From there, we started checking on the old man’s welfare and made several visits to his house. From a series of interview that Gen conducted with him as I was just patiently listening to their conversations, I could tell that he was full of humor, had so much positivity and a person filled with so much hope. There were instances that I and Gen would well up hearing stories about how this old man envisioned his remaining life would be.

The first one was his very persistent hopefulness that one day his wife will return to him. That he believed that his wife left him because the latter was needed by her parents who needed her care. When we further asked him, “What if she will not really return to you?” He just simply said, “It’s okay.” Even if I die and she will not return I will understand her still. Her family needs her. Hearing this was a tear-jerker for me and Gen. How could he be so understanding and forgiving to his wife? We were just amazed by the way how well his coping mechanisms were!

Surely, the second story of him was far more heart-breaking to even digest but nevertheless, this amazing old man will leave you in awe of him. According to a young adult man whom I had checked his BP days later, he claimed and said to me that Tatay Porperio won 25,000 pesos in cash in a legit gambling game duly sponsored by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). At first, I was upset knowing this since it made me think that Tatay Porperio was perhaps a gambler but the next question raised by this young man took me by surprise. He then asked me, “Do you know where did he use the money”? I said in conviction that most likely he would spend it for his vices. The young man laughed at me and shook his head and said, “No, he used the money to buy a small parcel of land to which he will be buried into when he dies!” This was again another striking moment that pained me so deeply. This old man that I and Gen came to love was actually preparing for his death already. I related the story to Gen and she was also in tears.

We do kind of treat Tatay Porperio as our own grandfather. He has become an icon of determination and positivity for us making us conclude that there is so much more to it than just community medicine. It’s actually about adopting a family miles away from home. He has touched our lives so much that he becomes an inspiration to the both of us. We just hope and pray that by the time we get back to the community sometime in May 2017, he is still alive and he still clearly remembers our name. Even if he does not, what is most important is that HE STILL LIVES.

-FIN-