People like to find out the reason behind almost why everything happens.

When a person gets to celebrate a hundred years of birthdays, the first question would be, “What is your secret to a long life?” If not, “What did you do to reach this age?”

More often than not, there are concrete answers, such as the kind of food they eat, the lifestyle they have, and even the kind of work they did when they were younger.

But every person is different, and not every person has a concrete reason.

 

 

On the morning of November 8, 2022, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office (FO) Caraga, headed by Protective Services Division (PSD) Chief Jessie Catherine Aranas, traveled to Rosario, Agusan del Sur, to award Lola Concepcion F. Caligdong who turned 100 years old on October 22, 2022, and is the municipality’s first person to ever reach a hundred years old, as well as the first senior citizen in the said municipality to receive Php100,000.00 through the Centenarian Program of DSWD.

When asked about the one million dollar question, “What is the secret to your long life?” Lola Concepcion simply shook her head and said, “Wala man, pangamuyo lang kay pagbuot sa Ginoo ang tanan (I have no secret but prayers, it is all God’s will),” she responded.

Maybe it is her secret to a long life. Because after Lola Concepcion’s husband and children passed on, she had no one left to take care of her but. This was until Roger Caligdong, her great-grandchild, who volunteered to take care of her when she was 76 years old.

“Di nako siya kaya pasagdan kay sama gud pod na siya sa atoang kaugalingon, dapat nato sila atimanon (I couldn’t bear abandoning her because, just like ourselves, we need someone to take care of us too),” Roger said.

When asked about the key to the centenarian’s long life, even Roger said, “Ambot lang kaha, wala may special sa iyang mga gipang buhat, naa ra gyud na sa pagbuot sa Ginoo, wala na sa tao (I have no idea because there is nothing special about her daily routine, it’s all about God’s will and not because of us),” Roger added.

Together with DSWD FO Caraga, the Local Government Unit (LGU) of the municipality of Rosario headed by the Municipal Mayor, Hon. Jose T. Cuyos Sr., Sangguniang Bayan (SB) Member Hon. Armando Hambala, Barangay Captain of Bayugan 3, Hon. Michael Rhay Hambala, the Municipal Social Welfare Officer, Ms. Jeanette G. Celedio, and Office of Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) President, Mr.Casiano Lasaca, joined the awarding, and also handed over Php20,000.00 to Lola Concepcion.

Wearing her dress laced with gold and a bouquet of flowers in her hand, she simply thanked everyone in attendance for the award and recognition that she garnered with her sweetest, “Salamat kaayo (Thank you very much).”

The Centenarian Program through Republic Act 10868 otherwise known as the Centenarians Act of 2016 entitles all Filipinos who reach 100 years old and above, whether living in the Philippines or abroad, a letter of felicitation from the President of the Philippines and a “centenarian gift” worth Php100,000.