THE LOOKOUT | “The biggest challenge for mercies is sustainability due to underfunding”

He defines himself as a man of consensus who does not tolerate betrayal and who values ​​honesty. He says that there must be will and political strength to solve the problem of the Chamusca bridge and that in order to have a strong social state without social dependencies, the State must support companies more.

I was born in Lisbon and after a year and a half I moved to Chamusca, where my parents are from. It was a different village, with a lot of life and industrial dynamics made up of companies that were disappearing. People flee to wherever they find answers to their ambitions and Chamusca ended up being destitute in terms of population and economic activity. In my time there was no shortage of children. I grew up in a group of kids who were involved in physical and cultural activities; We lived differently, we invented games. This sense of creativity has been lost, today’s young people are very attached to technology.
The Chamusca bridge is a problem that needs to be resolved, but there must be will and political strength to impose this need. And we, in Chamusca, have very little strength because we don’t represent anything in terms of voting. This is also why the provinces are being evicted. Chamusca would remove the poverty that accompanies generations of the same family and would add more industry, although I am aware that large companies that wanted to come here do not have the workforce because young people have left. It’s a shame that Chamusca doesn’t take advantage of the territory it has to create a thriving economy. I never thought about getting involved in local politics. My policy was and is to be involved in social action. I joined Misericórdia da Chamusca in 1991 and until 1999 I was responsible for Praça de Toiros. Then I left and came back, in 2017, with this great challenge of being a provider.
I have dedicated myself to work and I haven’t stopped myself yet, but it is important to be aware of when we lose qualities and abilities to take on roles and responsibilities. In institutions like Misericórdia we fight to help and make people happy. This is the greatest reward and, from this perspective, for those who occupy positions like this, you receive more than you give. I am a provider voluntarily. If this is how it should work? For me it is, but it is natural that things will change in the future.
The biggest challenge for mercies is sustainability due to underfunding by the State. There are IPSS with many difficulties and having to close facilities and sell assets to ensure sustainability and be able to maintain services. Social Security is aware of the difficulties, but this is a sector in which the State realizes that it will spend money and will not get a return and this in terms of budget and votes has its difficulties. We should be reimbursed according to our provision of services, which is not happening. The State assessed each ERPI bed with an average value of 1,400 euros/month for a user and, however, for users referred to Social Security beds we received 1,096 euros, which leaves a trail of losses.
Old age doesn’t scare me, but I’m afraid that something will happen to me that will diminish my abilities and I’ll have to depend on someone. I have a good relationship with users and although I can’t visit them every day, I do so once a week. I try to use balance and common sense. I like to fight for understanding in life and use it to create friendships… which is not always possible in this place. When we managed to please 10 people it was because we told 30 people no.
What I value most in others is loyalty. I don’t forgive the betrayal of people who appear to be one thing in front of them and something else behind their backs. It bothers me to recognize when I make a mistake, but failing is also part of life. And this life is built to be one of few friends. I have few but good friends who I don’t always get to talk to on a daily basis, sometimes only annually. Ascension Thursday is a time of reunion, where we meet those who are furthest away in a party that is so pure and charismatic.
The person I admire most is my father, Tarquínio Castelão. At 88 years old, he continues to have fantastic lucidity and, throughout his life, he has passed on to me values ​​such as honesty and humanism in relationships with people, in dealing with people, in discipline. Having passed through Forcados da Chamusca, where I spent 10 years, gave me a different view of life and the spirit of cultivating friendship. At that time, the group also served to recover young people who were in a complicated social situation. In the future it will be a tradition that will have some difficulties in surviving.
We, business people, do not feel the support we should have towards companies, which are largely responsible for the wealth in this country. We are spending the PRR in the State on things that are necessary but that do not bring much profitability. There should be more balance in effective support for companies. To have a stronger social state we have to support companies and we are doing the opposite: abandoning companies and creating a role of social dependence. I’ve been working at A Persistência – graphic arts, the company founded by my grandfather in 1929, for 25 years. In life, I have to do projects for the company, finish ongoing projects and those being approved by Misericórdia, and then try to live a good life. who has been very dedicated to her work.