Elderly Woman Reunites With Family After 39 Years

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY – An 81-year-old woman, missing for 39 years, has reunited with her family in Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental, on Jan. 7.

Richelle Verdeprado-Mangga, head of the Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD)-Bacolod, said in a media interview that the woman went missing in 1985.

According to Mangga, the senior citizen had a habit of leaving home frequently until one day, she failed to return. Her family searched for her but eventually presumed her dead, given her mental condition.

The City Anti-Mendicancy Task Force of the DSSD rescued her from the streets of Barangay Cabug on Nov. 15, 2024. She was referred to a shelter in Barangay Vista Alegre, where she received home care, health monitoring, and emotional support.

“She was a beggar for a long time,” Mangga said, noting that the elderly woman was already frail when rescued last year.

Mangga added that her family located her through social media. The DSSD then coordinated with the Zamboanguita Social Welfare and Development Office to verify her identity before reuniting her with her family this week.

Before being turned over to her family, the woman underwent a medical examination conducted by the City Health Office (CHO).