Forgetfulness comes with advancing age more than the elderly is willing to admit.
Once in a while, a thing or two is misplaced: eyeglasses, ballpoint pen, keys, cellular phone, and—believe it or not—even dentures. But after retracing one’s steps, the missing item is bound to ultimately turn up, only if lost within the confines of the home.
It’s a different matter when it comes to losing one’s identification card (ID) issued by the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA), because more often than not it is brought along outside the home to avail of discounts at restaurants, for movie tickets, for taxi fares, etc.
There is a tedious process in getting a replacement for a lost OSCA ID. An applicant must execute an affidavit of loss signed by a notary public. There are at least four or five supporting documents to be filed with either the OSCA or the City Social Services and Development Office (CSSDO). These are: birth certificate authenticated by the National Statistics Office (NSO), barangay clearance, community tax certificate and two pieces of 1×1 ID pictures, according to CSSDO Toril district in charge, Ditas Lubiano, Social Worker III.
The most likely areas for such ID cards to get lost are coffee shops and fast food eateries in shopping malls, the favorite hangouts of many senior citizens residing in urban centers.
This likelihood came to light after two senior citizens, media persons by the way, took lunch at a branch of Loring’s Lechon House, one of several fast food outlets at the SM food court.
Edge Davao editor- in- chief and moderator of the weekly Kapehan sa Dabaw at Café Rysus at SM every Monday, Tony Ajero, hosted this writer to lunch at that particular Loring’s outlet. While paying for their food bill, the two were ruing about their lost OSCAID cards, hence unable at the time to avail of the 20 percent discount. Unknown to them, they were overheard by the cashier on duty.
Without hesitation, the lady employee volunteered the information that there were a number of unclaimed ID cards inadvertently left by elderly customers after having paid their discounted bills. “It is possible there are other stores with IDs for safe-keeping,” she added.
Thereupon, Ajero thought it a good idea to check out stores keeping OSCA IDs, have the names printed in Edge as a public service feature of the weekly paper.
True enough, after about an hour of going from store to store, the inquiry yielded a total of 17 ID cards, including one SSS ID card, and one credit card,
A dramatic highlight of the cursory inquiry was the unexpected recovery of the OSCA ID card belonging to this writer. He had forgotten to get it back after handing it to the Delongtes cashier at the NCCC Mall in Matina to avail of the 20% discount on food he had ordered. The purchase happened three weeks earlier.
As of November 22, the following eateries were checked for such ID cards left unclaimed by elderly customers: At SM – 1) Loring’s: Edmundo Ramos, Anita C. Bacaltos, and Jesus V. Quitain (sounds familiar!); 2) Fiesta Dabaw: Carmen Ang Espina, Rowena C. Bolivar, Thelma dela Cruz, Ester B. Gonzales, Romulo L. Dequito and Lilia T. Palma; 3) Shakey’s: Caridad B. Fortuna, Teresita L. Sipalay; 4) Pancake House: Marietta C. Santos, Eduardo B. Baguroc; 5) Rai-Rai: Pacita M. Cimafranca; 6) Red Ribbon: Rose D. Mendoza; and 7) Mandarin: Jeanette S. Tan (SSS card), Wilson A. Bangayan (credit card).
At NCCC-Mall, 1) Delongtes: Ricardo Jimenez, Jr (this writer’s; already recovered last November 22), and Myrna Jaluco; 2) Fiesta Dabaw: Carmelita M. Jardenico, Amelita L. Potenciano, Violeta C. Flores, Esther M. Guerzo, and Julieta D. Jaleco.
Other eateries at SM and NCCC-Mall have still to be checked. As started in this article, the names will be published without the addresses for security reasons. Other malls will follow suit, that is, if this writer will not forget to remember (joke, joke, joke). [Ricardo Jimenez, Jr.]
