TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-CAR awarded a cash incentive worth PhP 100,000 to two centenarians from Sitio Ileb, Barangay Nambaran, and Barangay Magnao, on June 2, 2023.
The first awardee was Rudy Bayog, a native of Tinglayan, who was born on April 12, 1922 in Barangay Buscalan.
Bayog said in the interview that his secret to lasting a century is due mainly to his vegetarian diet since he was a child, as well as daily exercise from farming.
Bayog, a centenarian who relocated to Tabuk in 1997 in quest for a better life, did not have the opportunity to attend school, yet he can read, write, and perform simple mathematics.
During the interview, his wife Luisa, who claimed to be 101 years old and a native of Buscalan as well, said that reaching 100 years of age is a gift from God that only a few people can attain.
The centenarian couple said that to be able to live a century, a simple and healthy lifestyle is necessary.
Bayog, who has seven children, 56 grandchildren, and 17 great-grandchildren, said he still wants to live longer. He is grateful that he has no serious health concerns other than physical pains and unexpected variations in his blood pressure, which he manages with medication with the help of his children.
Another awardee was Jacinta Battaling of Purok 6, Barangay Magnao who was born on July 23, 1922.
Battaling, who has 11 children, 18 grandchildren, and 43 great grandchildren, can also attribute her long life to a healthy diet.
She can’t read and write, but she can speak English well and did farming in her prime.
This centenarian has a noticeable goiter, but during the interview, she said she doesn’t want to remove it. She lives with her daughter Judith who said that the P100K incentive will be used for the house repair and construction of her mother’s tomb.
The awardees also received a Letter of Felicitation from DSWD and centenarian shirts.
The awarding of the centenarian cash gifts was personally given by DSWD-CAR representatives Joyce Ayasao and Michelle Pinmiliw, with Imelda Polig, OSCA Head; Marydhel Lattot, social welfare officer; and City Special Concerns and Coordinating Officer Glen Wansi. By Darwin Serion and Ian Addatu
