They came with questions, stories, and a shared goal: to grow older with strength, purpose, and dignity.
Held from April 2 to 3 at the EKB Club House, senior citizens from Apayao gathered for a seminar on “Healthy and Graceful Aging” organized by the Provincial Government through the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO).
Said two-day activity tackled real-life concerns facing older adults, from chronic illnesses to quiet battles with stress.
The sessions covered geriatric health, nutrition, mental wellness, and communicable disease prevention. There was no shortage of reminders like move more, eat better, rest well. But more than that, the speakers unpacked the emotional weight of aging and how to stay resilient, how to manage the shift, how to feel seen.
“This seminar is part of our ongoing commitment to ensure that our senior citizens enjoy a healthy and active lifestyle well into their later years,” said Ms. Leeshel Lopez, PSWDO’s focal person for senior citizens. “We hope that the knowledge shared here today will empower our seniors to live fuller, healthier lives.”
Moreover, 50 seniors received pneumococcal and flu vaccines during the event.
What stood out was not just the information, but the tone of the sessions: practical, honest, hopeful. Discussions did not dwell on aging as a burden. Instead, they centered on autonomy, clarity, and preparation, what one participant described as “aging with intention.”
The event is part of the province’s push to anchor senior welfare in its health and social development agenda. In Apayao, aging is not viewed as an endpoint but a stage that still deserves full support. By Michelle Acantilado
