BONTOC, Mountain Province – The number of centenarians recognized and awarded by the provincial local government already reached 50 since the start of the provincial centenarian awards program in 2015.
Five more awardees were visited in their respective home this week in Sadanga (100-year-old Juana A. Nay-osan in Demang); Sagada (100-year-olds Viviana D. Mangaccam in Antadao and Patrick T. Bawing, in Patay, Poblacion); Tadian (100-year-old Agrifina C. Aligid in Batayan); and Bauko (102-year-old Mowan D. Laop in Mayag).
Binggayan T. Banawa of Saliok, Natonin also received her cash incentive and congratulatory certificate last Aug. 21 from the LGU team led by Gov. Bonifacio C. Lacwasan, Jr., bringing the total number of centenarian-awardees in August to six, the highest number of awardees in a month since January.
According to the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, Paracelis with its 11 centenarians tops the municipality with the most number of centenarians followed by Bauko which has eight.
The other municipalities also reflect awardees except for Barlig which has no recorded centenarian. Tadian has seven; Sabangan, six; Besao, four; Bontoc, four; Natonin, four; Sadanga, four; and Sagada, two.
Based on Ordinance 192, s. 2015 as amended by Ordinance 315, s. 2018, the provincial government deemed it proper to recognize and accord certain privileges to its qualified constituents who reach the age of 100 years old or more.
Vice Gov. Francis O. Tauli, co-author of the ordinance with then board member Romeo M. Pagedped, said the ordinance authorizes the provincial government to award each centenarian P30,000.
Aside from cash, awardees also receive certificates of recognition.
Tauli also expressed optimism that with the awards, people will be motivated to live a simple but healthy life.
When asked as to their secret to reaching 100 years of age, the centenarians and their family members shared that one major factor in longevity is healthy lifestyle – eating organic food and daily farm work as a form of exercise.
The centenarians said that they used to subsist more on root crops, edible weeds, algae, and mollusks, which abound in rice paddies they tilled or tended to in the olden days.
Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer Miguela P. Angwani appealed to the family members taking care of the centenarians to continue giving the best care to the elderly and to protect them from any kind of abuse. – Novy R. Afidchao
April 30, 2024
