Would you do the same?

Gasa sa Gugma is an institution established to take care for the old and aged citizens that are not paid attention by their own families. It was named Gasa sa Gugma: A Home for the Dying Destitute. It has a total population of about 96 old people as of February 2, 2007.

Before we went there, the whole group planned for what food to bring and prepared for some presentations that might entertain the aged. When I went there together with the rest of our CWTS class last.

During our visit last February 2, 2007, my heart was moved. During our arrival, all I can say was that the surrounding was very peaceful and placid. All I heard was just the rustling of the wind as it passed on the leaves of trees around the place. The place was ideal since it is clean and big. We were entertained by the one of the nuns who takes care of the facility. Then the nun gave us the “GO” signal to go and meet the aged. She said that they were having a mass on that day and she invited us to join the Holy Mass. Some of the old people were taken inside the small chapel through wheelchairs, because a lot of them are not able to walk anymore. I went to some of the aged and asked them if they were willing to go inside the chapel and attend the mass. As I noticed, I was worried because of their health conditions. I mean that there were some who had very dry skin and I think that it should be moisturize to avoid the dryness. I think that it is a problem because some of them are bothered by that situation. Some old individuals already developed a wound on their skins because of too much scratching in it. I met some of the aged.

I met Lola Barbara Ouano, and she told me that she would attend the mass later. At first, she was not able to give her name right away maybe she was recalling what her name is. I asked her where she used to live before she entered the facility and she told me that she once lived in Mandaue. In what part, she did not mention. We had a lot of talk and I asked her whether she is enjoying her stay there or do they have some sort of television there, but she told me that they do not have a TV. All they do is just to seat on the monobloc chairs that were prepared for them. However, her answer left my jaw hanging. She told me that she could not do anything about that. She could not do anything about the decision of her family to leave her in the facility. My heart started to get heavy.

I think that crying is just one of the many ways where one can express his or her feelings. Although I was not able to cry out my emotions, but I can really feel that deep inside my heart, it was very heavy. I could not imagine how selfish their family is. How stupid they are to let their mother or father to live inside there even if they could take care of them. I fear that someday I would be like them; I could not accept the fact of it. I was somewhat sad to the answers I heard. The aged are the people in this world that needs the most of our care and love. They deserve to be loved and not to be taken away. They need the most of our attention. Loving them is a way to save them from their very emotional state of their beings.

I was somewhat happy that there is a facility like Gasa sa Gugma who offers a home for the people who lacked the love of their families.