The year that was

DELACERNA

The year 2017 was an emotion-filled year for me. Dominant of these emotions is happiness. First of all I turned 70 this year which is a very significant age for a single woman. This is also my eighth year of twice a week dialysis and never skipped even a single session.

With the first shift schedule of Tuesday and Friday (from 6 to 11 in the morning), it has made me an early morning riser and be at the Perpetual Succour Hospital by 5 a.m.

I have been living alone for nine years (no helper at home), and I go to my sessions without any companion except for the first year because I don’t see the point of paying someone just sitting for four and a half hours when I could do the processing of papers myself even faster.

I am very happy and thankful to some friends and former students for being ever supportive through their assistance and concern.

All their gestures of concern and encouragement keep me going.

Living alone has never been an issue for me for it does more good for me. As my next door five-year-old neighbor who comes to the house morning and evening since age 2 and whom I consider my “apo” puts it, “You are not super alone, Lola, because I come here.”

He repeats it when he brings his playmates to the house and one of them asks me if I am alone, he would always declare “I always come here.”

I also wonder that I am just as busy as when I was in active service — supervising the UP Press Bookstore Cebu based in UP Cebu three times a week (since no one in UP Cebu is interested in taking charge), doing translations, giving hourly English sessions at the Redemptorist seminary twice a week, being involved in projects related to cultural heritage, pursuing other advocacies.

I am very thankful to the PCSO (Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office) for extending additional assistance to dialysis patients by covering the treatment fees for November and December since the 90 sessions provided for by PhilHealth expired first week of November, for some end of October.

PCSO in the regular season covers the injection needs of renal patients, not the dialysis treatment. So this is the first time it is being done and it came as a surprise.

I would like to credit the dedication and zeal of the very lean staff of the social services of PCSO where there are only two main personnel to attend to the numerous patients asking for assistance despite the lack of electricity in the building for the past five months. Hats off to Che and Narisa.

This year also saw the passing away of two of my best students in St. Catherine’s School, Carcar, Cebu — Victor Emmanuel Machacon (Class 1971) and Sonia Gantuangco (Class 1969).

Both were the kind of students any teacher would like to have in class — hardworking, always prepared for class, never late or absent from class, submitted a neat and substantial work, articulate and never hesitated to ask questions. Both also bore difficulties with dignity.

Victor, who lived in Minglanilla, would drive a pedicab at night to be able to commute to Carcar every day. Sonia had polio and had to travel from Valladolid by pedicab to school, and she climbed the stairs every day without any yaya, yet she was never late for school and she would do a little cleaning of the classroom for she arrived early in school.

I am dismayed with two issues and concerns. A lot of people who were known as strong advocates of human rights are now very silent. I hope and pray that they start to come back instead of being swallowed up by the dark forces.

The men I admire for their memorable roles — Kevin Spacey and Dustin Hoffman — are accused of sexual harassment. I am sure there will be more of them.

I am very disgusted with the indifference to the environmental degradation, the lack of disaster preparedness.

With the coming barangay elections, concern for the environment and program of disaster preparedness should be the leading points to be considered in voting for the local officials.

Lastly, here is hoping that the country’s social services would be greatly improved. Also that the K to 12 curriculum will be zealously studied, teacher training will be continuous and consistent.

We are looking forward to the first graduates of the senior high school as they enter college. By then it will also be the best time to look into the new college curriculum.

Despite the crises and the natural calamities occurring in 2017, it was a very good year. Happy New Year everyone!