For elderly mall-goers, strolling around the mall could be quite a tiring experience. No matter how much our lolos and lolas want to explore and discover new things for themselves, the reality is that they would need to take several rest stops in between.
This realization dawned on Tito Lorete Alcala many years ago when he would accompany his octogenarian parents around the mall, prompting him to devote his life into making comfortable seats available in public spaces for the elderly. For Alcala, this was all about giving back and showing gratitude and love to the elderly.
Leveraging on The Artistshop Company, Inc., an advertising design agency he co-founded in 1984, Alcala was able to see his personal advocacy take shape through S.I.L.Y.A. (Sa Iyo Lolo at Lola Yantok Aming Alay). Thanks to Alcala’s painstaking efforts over the years, S.I.L.Y.A. has become a nationwide rocking chair donation program, wherein comfortable rocking chairs are donated for the use of the elderly in public spaces.
Sharing Alcala’s belief that the elderly deserve some much needed TLC, Ortigas Malls recently partnered with S.I.L.Y.A. to continue propagating its noteworthy mission of providing comfortable rest spaces for elderly mall-goers. Just like Alcala, Ortigas Malls recognizes that age and physical limitations should not stop the elderly from being able to explore and enjoy life’s little joys, including the many offerings of their malls, and has made available these rocking chairs where the elderly can recover their energies while malling.
Architect Renee Bacani, VP of Ortigas Malls, and Alcala himself were on hand to present rocking chairs hand-painted by ArtistShop for senior citizens to enjoy at Tiendesitas mall in Pasig City.
All mall-goers of Ortigas Malls’ Greenhills, Estancia, and Industria properties will also be able to experience the comfort of these rocking chairs within the year. These rocking chairs will all be situated strategically in areas that would allow the elderly to have some quiet recovery time, away from the fast-paced crowd, but sufficiently close to enjoy the malls’ many offerings and conveniences.
Beyond serving elderly mall-goers, S.I.L.Y.A. also provides livelihood and business opportunities to local artisans who specialize in making rocking chairs. This is an advocacy that Ortigas Malls also deeply cares about, as it seeks to find opportunities to support Filipino artisans.
“It’s in our nature to care,” says Alcala of S.I.L.Y.A, reflecting the same philosophy that drives Ortigas Malls in this partnership.