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Magulang

'ERMITANYONG baliw’ ang katuturan ng juramentado… sa edad-55 na isinilang sa Taon ng Tupa, hindi na maamong kordero, naging carnicero—butcher—ang isang Capt. Rolando Mendoza, napabilang sa 10 natatanging pulis ng Pilipinas.

Sana’y nakapagsalo kami kahit sampraskong lambanog o kuwatro kantos, nagkahuntahan, napagpayuhan… nairekomenda sa mga kaibigan na dating militar… kahit supervisor lang sa security and private investigation agency…good things come to those who wait—especially in ambush—and he could have waited out an overhaul of the Ombudsman (now in the works), maybe a likely decision on his reinstatement.

Overqualifie
d siya sa ganoong gawain…na karanasan at kakayahan ng katulad niya ang makakatugon. Magkakatrabaho pa siya, kahit sibilyan na lang.

Sa edad-39 ang rurok ng pinakamabilis na mga reflexive action ng katawan… talagang bagumbuhay na sa edad-40. Pero mahahasa’t masasanay pa rin ang katawan para manatili ang kakayahang taglay hanggang bumigay na ang isipan sa edad-120… and most blokes in human resource development or personnel recruitment are clueless on the stark-nakedness of such wonder.

Iba ang may edad lang… kakaiba ang may karanasan at nahasang kasanayan… accumulated skills and acquired competence hardwire the gray matter into keeping itself young and agile for action.

Sabagay, naglipana rin ang itatambak lang ang mga taon at panahon sa katawan… tumanda lang na tatanga-tanga, nakalublob sa katangahan, nagpipilit na hilahin pababa ang iba sa kanilang kagunggungan, pwe-he-he-he!

Sabagay, umiiral pa rin ang age discrimination sa Pilipinas… and that largely stems from how youth is wasted on the young… edad-20 pa lang ngayon, they’ve begun wasting away, dinadapurak na ang katawan ng mga galamay ng stroke and cardio-pulmonary ailments… sinalasa na ng samut-saring sakit… organ failures, including the sex organ’s unleashed by a fence-sitter’s lifestyle and lousy diets.

Pero sa tulad ni Mendoza, kailangan lang tukuyin ang tinatawag na niche market para sa kanyang natatanging kasanayan at kakayahan…

Despite the trenchant discrimination on age hereabouts, elders like me will not be held hostage by either age or discrimination…

Edad-70 si Li Ching-Yuen nang mahirang na tactical adviser at tagapagturo ng unarmed combat sa People’s Liberation Army ng China… at nakapagbilang pa nga siya ng asawa. If such an elder can do it, why can’t our elders? Kaya ba ng kabataan ang ganoong diskarte?

Heto, ikinakasa ko ang isang katoto-- pumalo na yata sa higit edad-60—para makapasok ng trabaho… corporate PRoblem solver… kayang-kaya niya ang ganoong kayod dahil mahaba ang karanasan at kasanayan sa diyaryo.

Ipinagtutulakan naman ako ng manugang at isang anak na mapasabak sa pagsusulat sa TV… eh, pulos kabaklaang ingay naman ang nakasupalpal do’n, magsasayang lang ng panahon sa ganoong trabaho na sakto sa binabae.

Iba ang magulang… may gulang… o sa pagpapakumbaba, mago lang… tulad ng tatlong haring mago na nagsadya at nag-alay ng mga regalo sa kasisilang na Mesiyas.

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