This article examines the challenges elderly Filipinos face today. Based on 15
in-depth interviews, I characterize how senior citizens, especially women, aspire
to play a productive role in their families in spite of their physical frailties and
financial limitations. Contrary to the continuity approach in sociology of aging,
this article argues that the elderly wish to redeem their independence— not to
pursue an individualized identity but to fulfil obligations to their family. The
article also aims to add more nuances to the political economy and dependency
accounts of aging by illustrating the different ways the elderly negotiate their
roles and aspirations in their current life phase.