The moment the Field Office staff greeted her hello, her eyes started to sparkle as tears started to form in her lids. While smiling she said, “Thank you so much for your generosity.”
Lola Paulina Torion’s skin was wrinkled but her youthful glow made her look like she had not lived for 100 years.
When she was asked about the secret to a long life, a peculiar answer was given, “Baka ra gyud akong kaonon (I only eat beef),” she said as she was true to her faith as an Adventist.
But what made her eyes sparkle was when she was asked about her husband, “Do you miss Jose?” She smiled and said, “Buotan gyud kaayo to akong bana (My husband was a very good man).”
Silence filled the air and tears were building up in her eyes, “Wala man gyud mi nag away dai (We never fought, Inday)” she said and smiled looking like she was remembering memories with him in her mind. Then she said, “Gimingaw ko sa iya (I miss him).”
Maybe what people eat is a big factor as to how long they live but maybe love is what sustains the life in someone. The kind of love that nurtures, the kind of love that understands, and the kind of love that’s worth remembering.
She is the reflection of the love that fosters within the family she built with her husband.
“Dapat nato ampingan atong ginikan kay atong dalhon ang pag mahal na ilang gihatag sa atoa pinaagi sa atong pag amping saila (We should carry the love that they have given us through taking care of them [our parents]),” Fernando Villanueva Torion Sr., the son of Nanay Paulina shared.
Lola Paulina was rewarded with Php 100,000.00 for reaching 100 years of age through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office Caraga’s Centenarian Program to honor her century’s worth of contribution to the community. She was also handed a Certificate of Recognition from the Agency and a Letter of Felicitation from President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos on February 16, 2023.
The Local Government Unit of Bislig City where Lola Paulina resides has also given her recognition through a cash gift of Php100,000.000 last February 06, 2023 as their counterpart in the implementation and replication of the Centenarian Program.
Like the love that strengthens their family, DSWD FO Caraga serves with the love that continues to nurture the community, the love that understands the needs of the vulnerable sectors, and the kind of love that will always remember those who need it.
