Senior Workers Prove Purpose Has No Expiration Date

At 66, Rosalinda Caparanga did not want her days to simply pass. She wanted responsibilities of her own, the independence of earning an income, and the quiet satisfaction of being needed.

She found all three at Chowking, where she helps maintain the dining area and support the restaurant team. Across town, at Greenwich, 70-year-old retired overseas Filipino worker Manuel Moran was beginning an entirely new chapter, his first job in food service after years working abroad.

Their paths differ, but their message is the same: growing older does not mean growing irrelevant.

A reason to keep moving
Before joining Chowking, Caparanga sold items from home and spent much of her time bringing her grandson to and from school. When he began spending full days in class, she found herself with more time and a growing desire to return to work.

She learned about employment opportunities for senior citizens at Jollibee Group brands while renewing her senior citizen ID at Manila City Hall. With information from the Public Employment Service Office (PESO), she applied and soon became part of the restaurant team.

For her, the job is about more than wages.

“Malaki rin po ang naitutulong. Mayroon akong mga bayarin, kaya kailangan ko rin talagang kumita. Nahihiya rin akong umasa sa mga anak ko, kaya gusto kong magtrabaho (It helps a lot. I have bills to pay, so I really need to earn as well. I also don’t want to depend on my children, which is why I want to work),” Caparanga said.

Her family initially worried that the work would be too demanding at her age. Caparanga saw it differently.

“Noong una, ayaw nila kasi matanda na raw ako. Pero sabi ko, gusto kong may obligasyon ako at may oras na kailangan kong kumilos. Exercise na rin iyon para lumakas pa ako (At first, they didn’t want me to because they said I was already old. But I told them I wanted to have a responsibility and a reason to keep moving. It is also a form of exercise that helps me stay strong),” she said.

A new career at 70
Moran’s route to Greenwich was even less conventional. After years overseas in accounting, operations, and logistics, he returned to the Philippines hoping to find a meaningful way to use his time.

He initially hoped to become a tourist guide through a senior-citizen initiative in Manila. Instead, he was offered an opportunity in food service, an industry he had never worked in.

At first, he questioned whether he could keep up. Then he decided to treat the role as a challenge.

“Sabi ko sa sarili ko, I have to prove myself. Ayokong maging liability; gusto kong maging asset at may maitutulong talaga ako (I told myself, I have to prove myself. I don’t want to be a liability; I want to be an asset and make a real contribution),” Moran said.

He learned restaurant service routines, stayed alert to cleanliness and food-handling standards, and took pride in doing his part for the team. More than a source of income, the job gave him structure, learning, and a renewed sense of usefulness.

Learning from each other
Both Caparanga and Moran entered workplaces where many of their colleagues were decades younger. Rather than creating distance, age became another reason to work together.

Caparanga learned by observing coworkers and focusing on the tasks assigned to her. Moran says the acceptance he received from younger teammates helped him feel at home from the start.

“Memorable sa akin iyong respect at acceptance nila simula nang pumasok ako rito. Iba ang samahan. Kahit mas bata sila sa akin, naramdaman ko talaga iyong support (What stands out to me is the respect and acceptance they have shown me since I started here. There is a different kind of camaraderie. Even though they are younger than me, I really felt their support),” Moran said.

The exchange goes both ways. Younger employees help senior workers navigate new routines, while older team members bring patience, life experience, and a strong sense of responsibility to daily operations.

Opportunity, not charity
Their stories reflect a wider shift in how workplaces can view senior employment. Jollibee Group’s Inclusive Employment Program, launched in 2019, has provided work opportunities to more than 1,000 senior citizens and persons with disabilities across the Philippines through partnerships with local government units.

Qualified seniors under the program may take on lobby-based roles such as order presenters, drink drawers, table managers, and guest relations staff. The initiative continued to expand after a pandemic-related pause, with hundreds of senior citizens and persons with disabilities hired in recent years.

For Caparanga, the opportunity has also become a way to encourage others. When fellow seniors ask about work, she points them to City Hall and PESO so they can inquire and apply for themselves.

Still contributing
Moran believes older Filipinos should be seen for what they can still offer, not only what they have done in the past.

“Marami sa aming seniors ang may kakayahan at mayroon pang maiaambag. May mga experience kami na puwede pa naming ma-share. At para sa marami, hindi lang ito tungkol sa financial need; mahalaga rin na may meaningful na pagkakaabalahan (Many of us seniors are still capable and still have something to contribute. We have experiences that we can share. And for many, this is not only about financial need; it is also important to have something meaningful to do),” he said.

Caparanga has found dignity in earning independently and being counted on. Moran has discovered that, even at 70, a first day on a new job can still feel like a beginning.

Together, they show that purpose does not retire when people do. It simply finds a new place to show up.