CEBU CITY—Two female centenarians here received P100,000 each from the city government after they turned 100 years old this year.
The Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) and the city treasurer’s office on December 28 turned over the amount to Efigenia Bardos of Barangay Mambaling and Victoriana Ubod of Barangay Sapangdaku.
Bardos celebrated her 100th birth anniversary last Sept. 21 while Ubod reached a hundred years on Aug. 20.
Vicente Esmeña, head of the city government’s OSCA, personally visited the two centenarians to give the city government’s cash gift.
Ubod received P85,000 since she already received P15,000 when she celebrated her 90th birthday, Esmeña said.
In a report released by the Cebu City News and Information last December 28, Bardos shared her secret to longevity.
Her favorite viands: “tinolang isda” (fish in ginger broth), “kinilaw” (raw fish in vinegar and spices), and “paksiw na isda” (fish cooked in vinegar).
These food, she said, were paired with a bottle of beer.
Bardos, who has 12 children and 36 grandchildren, still has clear eyesight and can even read small fonts when she signed a document after receiving the cash gift.
“Usually, our food includes fish and vegetables,” said one of Bardos’ children who is now 70 years old.
Ubod, for her part, said she eats all kinds of food. Her secret to a long life is to avoid getting angry.
Ubod, who has nine children, said she has been praying to the Lord to grant her more years to live.
According to her daughter Rosalina, her mother had been admitted to the hospital several times but survived.
“She had encountered near-death experiences but got through the ordeal through our prayers,” Rosalina said.
“In fact, there were times when the doctors already gave up on her but our mother still survived,” she added.
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