Sitting excitedly and attentively, this old man wearing a blue cap with the glittering unfrowned brows over his big circled eyes is excitedly holding the pen to sign the receive part of the document for his pension.

Lolo Leonardo S. Genodia, 65, of Brgy. Zamora, Pontevedra, Negros Occidental is one of the many senior citizens who for the first time received his social pension. He was one of the hacienda workers, born into a family that had worked in the sugar fields for generations. His family used to be resident farm workers of hacienda in their area.

“Nalipay gid ako nga isa ako sa nakabaton sang pension subong,” (I am now at seventh heaven because I was one of the many who received the social pension), Lolo Leonardo said.

Instead of going to school during my younger years, I preferred working in the sugar field because “Pigado gid kami,”(We are really poor) he stressed. “Until I have my own family,” he continued his story. “I continued to work, did any  jobs just to earn and feed my wife and five children.”

“But still I had difficulty. Sometimes, if I could earn more than I usually earned, I could buy slippers, biscuits and some other needs of my children.”

Lolo Leonardo said, “I was once durable and sturdy like the sugar cane. For generations, I have survived through striving and doing any jobs specifically during dead season (tiempo muerto). I never chose jobs, the most important thing for me is to earn for my family.”

“At least my hard work pays. My children finished high school and now they have their own family. Somehow they could find work better than I had and send their children to school too.”

He, however, expressed that finding work at this time is impossible. He was recently diagnosed of having lung cancer.

“Who could say that I would still be fit to work? All I can do is just sit and walk a little due to my illness,” he said.

“Still I am lucky because of my wife and children who never feel tired to take care of me despite of difficulties.

My children would sometimes give a little help for my medicine but I do not always expect since they also have their own family,” he said.

Lolo Leonardo also shared that his wife even works as a helper at times to help him buy medicines and food.

“Nevertheless, God provides. Perhaps he sees how difficult we live,” he said.

“Through this Social Pension, I can now buy some of my medicines and our food.

This is really a big help for me and my family,” he said. “I am very happy for this amount that I’ve got.

This pension by some means could cross our needs,” Lolo Leonardo finally said with a cloudy eyes of tears/dswd6/Merry Jezzel M.  Brendia