CURIOSITY knows no bounds, regardless of how old one becomes.
Meet the 70-year-old grandma from Mandaue City who’s breaking the internet with her light and happy dance videos.
Grooving to the upbeat tunes of the disco hit "Dayang-Dayang" and the viral TikTok Budots dance, Glenita Cudis proves that age is no barrier in keeping up in the fast-paced world of social media influencers.
Meanwhile, at Cebu's oldest public market, the Carbon Public Market, at least two elder vendors are embracing technology by accepting GCash payments from their customers.
Connection
Cudis said she’s already a senior citizen, but it feels like she’s not because when she dances in front of her cellphone camera, she does not feel like one.
“I just hope no one will criticize me for it,” Cudis candidly said in Cebuano.
“Malingaw man ko kay kanang ingon-aron, trabaho ko sa balay nya magtuyok-tuyok ra ko nya mag atiman kos mga daghan kog iro nya kanang molingkod na sad ko diri nya naghunahuna na sab kog mag TikTok na sab ko,” she added.
(I really enjoy it because, you know, I do my chores around the house, take care of my dogs, then when I sit down, I start thinking about making another TikTok video.)
Cudis has both Facebook and TikTok accounts. She created her Facebook account back in 2015 and, even before reels became popular, she said she regularly uploaded cooking videos.
Her journey into the online world is fully supported by her two children.
“Mananghid ra man ko nga nak’ okay ra ko mag-ani? Nya (moingon sila) okay ra ma oy, kung unsay imong gusto. Ganahan ra mi nga malipay ka,” she said.
(I just ask permission, like, 'Is it okay if I do this?' And they say, 'Of course, it’s fine. Do whatever you want. We just want you to be happy.)
She said she had more time to explore online when she stopped managing their wholesale business a couple of years after her husband passed away in 2021.
"Malipay ra sad ko unya ang akong mga stress sad ba kay (mawala) kay ako daghan man kog gihuna-huna jud, murag makalimot lang sad g'yud ta ba," she said.
(It makes me happy. It relieves my stress because I have a lot on my mind. It helps me forget my problems at times.)
Convenience
In Carbon, convenience is what prompted 52-year-old Evelyn Aragon, a flower vendor at Carbon Public Market, and 66-year-old Lucena Obieza, who runs a modest sari-sari store in the same market, to embrace digital tools, especially cashless platforms like GCash.
A quick stroll through the Carbon Public Market’s interim building will leave one curious about the blue cards with QR codes hanging in many of the stalls. And while most stalls are run by Millennials and Generation Z, it’s surprising to see vendors from Generation X and the Baby Boomer generation breaking stereotypes.
Cashless transactions were made possible in Carbon Public Market when the Cebu City Government launched its Paleng-QR Plus Program on August 15, 2024.
The program is part of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ nationwide campaign to promote cashless payments in public markets and transport services.
The launch in Cebu City drew participation from market vendors, bank representatives, and companies offering mobile wallet services.
However, Aragon said she was first encouraged to use GCash during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. With pandemic-induced restrictions on movement, GCash served as an alternative for physical business transactions.
The app, she said, made it easy for her to transact with her flower buyers from Iloilo, Leyte and Surigao.
“Mostly man gud kay sa mga customer mangutana man jud na sila nga naa kay GCash te? Pwede ra i GCash?” she said.
(It's mostly because customers often ask, "Do you have GCash, ma'am? Can I just pay through GCash?)
“Tapos, ang mga ako sang mga customer like Iloilo naa koy gisupplyan, naay Leyte, naay Surigao, thru GCash ang payment,” she added.
When asked about how she navigated the app, from installation to registration, Aragon simply said she followed the app's instructions.
Aragon also said she assists her neighboring vendors by handling their GCash transactions and converting the funds to cash for them. She charges a small fee for this service.
However, she emphasized that she remains cautious of scams.
During peak seasons, like Valentine’s Day and All Souls’ Day, she often receives large sums in her GCash wallet. During these times, she gradually transfers the funds to her online bank account, making sure not to lose her OTP.
“I-try lang nila. Then, naa lang jud sila’y precautionary nga di lang sila ma victim anang mga scammers (They just give it a try. They just make sure to take precautions so they don’t fall victim to scammers),” Aragon said.
Obieza, for her part, said that an agent introduced her to the mobile wallet app. She has been using the app for almost a year now.
“Nakabenefit. Kay mao may bayad sa mga customer (It’s been beneficial because that’s how customers pay),” she said.
However, she raised a concern, particularly when the internet is unreliable. Sometimes, they also hit the GCash transaction limit or the cap on the amount set by GCash.
During her interview on the night of August 30, Obieza said it was the third consecutive day they had been unable to use the GCash app.
Cudis, Aragon, and Obieza are some of the elders who break the stereotype that technology is only for the younger generation.
For many, these platforms provide convenience, connection, and a sense of inclusion in today's digital world. It also shows how technology can bridge generational gaps, allowing older adults to stay connected with family, friends, and even trends. (WBS)