Manila: For more than four decades, public servant Angelina Cardel extended a helping hand to others. She began her career as a local official here, moved to the provincial government of Albay, and later to the Department of Agrarian Reform, where she spent 25 years. Throughout her government career, service became more than a profession-it became her life's work. At 80, Cardel is now on the receiving end. The retired government employee from Central City here has ischemic heart disease, a chronic condition that introduced her to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.'s Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (PhilHealth-YAKAP).

According to Philippines News Agency, retirement was supposed to be a quieter chapter for Cardel. Widowed since 2003, she raised five children and looked forward to spending more time with her family and serving in church. However, in 2024, doctors diagnosed her with the heart disease that changed her daily routine overnight. Regular medical consultations became necessary. She now takes four maintenance medicines daily. Doctors advised her to avoid physical exhaustion, emotional stress, and unhealthy food to keep her condition under control. "I felt like I was going to die. I couldn't think clearly," she recalled when she learned about her condition.

Beyond the emotional toll, the diagnosis also raised a practical concern. Living on a modest pension, Cardel worried about how she would sustain long-term treatment without depending on her children. Determined to continue treatment without becoming a burden, she began asking fellow retirees and former colleagues about government health programs available to senior citizens. That search led her to PhilHealth's YAKAP program. She first sought guidance from the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs before visiting PhilHealth to learn about the requirements. She eventually enrolled and began receiving care through a private hospital in Legazpi City, a PhilHealth accredited facility.

For Cardel, YAKAP became more than financial assistance. It provided continuity in her treatment. Through the program, she receives regular consultations, prescribed maintenance medicines, and coordinated care. Her medical records are maintained within an integrated system, allowing doctors to monitor her condition more efficiently whenever follow-up consultations or referrals are needed. Heart disease, she said, requires constant attention. Missing consultations or interrupting medication is not an option. Having access to regular healthcare has allowed her to focus less on worrying about treatment and more on living each day as normally as possible. The financial assistance likewise eased the burden. "It helps me so much," she said. "YAKAP symbolizes embracing people who are in dire need. I am deeply moved because it truly helps." More than the savings, Cardel said the program gave back her confidence.

Illness strengthened rather than weakened her faith, Cardel said. For 27 years, she has remained active in church ministry, continuing to share the Gospel even after her diagnosis. "I never doubted the Lord," she said, explaining that she chose to see her illness not as a punishment but as another challenge to face with faith and hope. Today, she continues to follow her doctors' advice, takes her medicines, and embraces a healthier lifestyle while remaining active in her ministry. Cardel also hopes her experience will encourage other senior citizens to learn about healthcare programs that can help them manage chronic illnesses before complications arise.

She encouraged healthcare workers to continue treating elderly patients with patience and compassion, saying kindness often provides comfort alongside medical care. After spending most of her life serving communities through government work, Cardel now sees public service from a different perspective-not as the one extending assistance, but as one of the people it was created to serve. She hopes her journey will remind fellow senior citizens that accepting help is not a sign of weakness but a step toward preserving one's health, independence, and dignity. Growing old also means adapting to life's unexpected turns, Cardel said. An illness reshaped her retirement, but it never diminished her commitment to faith, her gratitude for public service, or her desire to help others. This time, by encouraging them to seek the care and move forward with confidence.