A Place to Call Home: The Story of Teresita Añós

Life is a changing process. Since we are young, till when we are old, all these phases will define us. We are proud to be a family-oriented society in the Philippines, where it is usual to come across a two or three generation of people living in a single roof taking care of one another. However, even in the midst of this tradition, there are still quite a number of elderly people who leave behind, lonely and vulnerable. Others are widowed, others abandoned when their children go to work, and some are abandoned completely by poverty or broken family bonds. Illness and disability can bring them even further into a more desperate state, as they have no relatives to fall back on.

This is what happened to Teresita Añós, a resilient and struggling woman. She used to share her home with her husband in Sanciangko-Junquera Street in the Cebu City until their house was demolished. Shortly after, her husband passed away, leaving her widowed and displaced. But instead of giving up, life gave her a different mission as she adopted two children.

She took care of AAA a five months old boy and BBB while three-year-old girl who was abandoned by her mother. Teresita, despite earning only a small honorarium as a barangay caretaker, chose to raise them with love. She clothed, fed, and sent them to school despite her poverty. Over the years, BBB finished high school before reuniting with her family in Negros, while AAA pursued the Alternative Learning System (ALS) after completing Grade 5.

In the midst of Covid-19 pandemic, Teresita had a persistent fever after a booster shot with subsequent muscle weakness. Her mobility was diminished leaving her vulnerable. She becomes dependent to herself as her adopted children were not with her during those times, and she had no family to support her.

However, her life suddenly change when the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (SSHJM) extended its mission of reaching the furthest behind, and by adhering the “Furthest Behind First” in Barangay Kamagayan through the aid and support of Misean Cara, Teresita was discovered.  The SSHJM social worker realized that she was in a dire condition, thus we immediately tried to find a place where she could be taken care of. The first center being inquired by the SSHJM was in “Gasa sa Gugma,” however the center was occupied. Then at Hospicio de San Jose, but they were unable to take care of her.

Finally, the SSHJM social worker approached the Missionaries of the Poor – House of the Lord in Talisay, Cebu. And there, the missionaries were ready to take Teresita, but Missionaries of the Poor social worker informed the SSHJM that she would be the last patient that they would accommodate as the facility was already filled to its capacity and limitations. To enable Teresita, the SSHJM assisted her in this case with the required paperwork to be submitted. The social worker was determined to provide her with an opportunity of safety and care, and therefore did all that was needed, including collaborating with Barangay Kamagayan to obtain the certifications of residency and a PhilHealth ID, coordinating the Human Behavior Department at VSMC to hasten her psychiatric evaluation, and assuring her of a medical abstract and other required referrals until she had it.

On July 6, 2025, Teresita was finally admitted to the Missionaries of the Poor. Now, Teresita is grateful and happy at the center under the care of MSP. She is no longer the woman she once was—waiting for someone to take pity on her, to bathe her, wash her clothes, or give her food. Today, her needs are provided for with dignity and consistency. She smiled, and told me “Limpyo nako kaayo, makakaon na kanunay” (I am now very clean, and I can eat regularly).

Her case is a legend of perseverance, empathy and teamwork. In every challenge that we may encounter in our lives, we must face it always with determination and bravery. We must not give up as God is always watching us. All we have to do is to trust his process…

Disclaimer: Any concerns vis-à-vis the article, message the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary through their page, SSHJM-Cebu Mission facebook page.