Most senior citizens look forward to their retirement at the age of 60. Some may retire early; Some may work until 65. But Tatay Glicerio knows no limits at 72 and is categorized as a Person with Disability (PWD). His story inspires the generations to come: That work has no boundaries, only how far you are willing to go.

Failure is a step to success

In 1963, Glicerio Bagas came upon a rat trap. Clouded with curiosity, he tinkered with it. The contraption exploded into Tatay Glicerio’s right eye with a single flick. He was rushed to the hospital and consulted an Eye, Ears, Nose, and Throat(EENT) doctor. Dr. Mercado then operated on him. Unfortunately, the doctor could not save his eye. “My failure became my success!” Tatay said as he was narrating the aftermath of his surgery. Glicerio’s attitude would depict a positive outlook that although he experiences something grim, there is always the brighter side.

Years passed, and he fell in love and fathered two children. Unfortunately, one died from a vehicular accident, and the other went abroad for a greener pasture. As a result, he had two granddaughters living under his roof. His son supports his daughters, and at the same time, he also gives to his parents. Tatay narrated that out of the support his son gives him, he uses a small portion of it for themselves, and the remaining shares would go to his granddaughters.

Tatay Glicerio also worked hard to earn a decent income every month to sustain his family under his roof. He worked as a tobacco farmer, became a lupon president, and tended to his garden. He had used this to raise his son; now, he is using it to help raise his granddaughters. But times were tough as he exerted much effort in these activities despite his age.

Claiming victory

DSWD X Workers then visited the barangay hall of Gasi to inform them that they could avail of a program that could benefit PWDs. Tatay then qualified for the Livelihood Assistance Grant (LAG) and bought a goat with it. However, a few months later, he noticed that the goat was ravaging the neighbor’s plants which caused complaints. Glicerio then decided to sell the goat. He then bought a cow with the price of the goat and the extra income he had saved. He then uses the cow to help him get side jobs for tilling the soil.

Before the assistance came, he expected a monthly income of around 7,000 to 9,000 Php, which he used to buy their essential needs to support their daily consumption. But with the help of his cow, a product from LAG, he now earns 10,000 to 12,000 Php per month. He narrated: “…before I was exerting much effort into giving into the needs of my granddaughter; much more today that they are going to school. But once LAG came and helped us, we could simultaneously give them what they needed. Moreover, we could put aside some money for savings as nothing is permanent in this world that we live in.”

A lot of us are worried in today’s age. Some have already married early, some started their family at 50, and some have graduated at 65. Tatay Glicerio is a prime example that age is just a number. He has accomplished so much at his age and is continuously working to improve his life at 72. He is a reminder that we have our timeline. We are not late or early; we are just right on time.