100 YEARS OLD. Personnel from the Davao City government (right) hand over on Oct. 16, 2023 a plaque honoring Amalia Rafols (left) for reaching the age of 100 years. Rafols shared that her secret to living longer is eating “malunggay” (horseradish). (Photo courtesy of Davao CIO)
DAVAO CITY – In time for the Elderly Filipino Week celebration, the city government has started a house-to-house distribution of PHP100,000 cash incentives to 25 centenarians here and will run until Oct. 24.
In an interview Wednesday, Vice Mayor Melchor Quitain Jr. said teams from the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) and City Health Office started giving out the incentives to the first four centenarians living in the Poblacion District on Oct. 16.
“I am so honored to meet these centenarians. There are only a few people in this country and this world that will reach 100 years old, and to be able to talk to them, interact with them, to see them smiling and to see them happy, give us a really good feeling,” Quitain said.
Julie Dayaday, the CSWDO officer-in-charge, said in a separate interview that the incentive distribution is in line with a city ordinance that honors Davao centenarians by granting them cash incentives.
Dayaday said their office decided to shift to house-to-house distribution this year instead of conducting a single event for all the centenarians for the elders’ convenience.
“Apart from cash incentives, the centenarians will also receive a plaque with their name and picture,” she added.
Amalia Rafols, one of the beneficiaries, shared that her secret to reaching 100 years is eating “malunggay" (horseradish).
”I do not have maintenance (medicine) compared to some of those younger than me who are retaining medicines,” she said.
The other centenarians said eating vegetables, having no enemies, a positive outlook and receiving love and support from their families are the secrets to a long life. (PNA)
