TABUK CITY, Kalinga – On June 13, the city administration presented a centenarian from Sitio Ileb, Barangay Nambaran, with a P50,000.00 reward for surviving a century.
Rudy Bayog, a native of Tinglayan, 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 of 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 is also a centenarian (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 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 and was grateful 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.
Bayog will also receive a centenarian cash gift and a Letter of Felicitation from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), as well as another P50,000.00 from the Provincial Local Government Unit, according to Social Welfare Officer IV Marydhel Lattot of the City Special Concerns and Coordinating Office (PLGU).
City Mayor Darwin Estrañero personally presented the P50,000.00 cash incentive to the centenarian, congratulating him and wishing him the best of health and happiness in life.