See the goodness of everything

One hundred and nine years old is not just a number for Juliana Tarucan, born on Jan. 17, 1904, lola Juliana has experienced living an unadulterated life, witness the horrors of war and lived through the transition of modern times.

For the new generation, lola Juliana’s age of 109 maybe tiresome to some but for this centennial woman it is a blessing, “akong maistorya sa akong mga apo ug ang mga sunod na henerasyon sa mga panghitabo ug kausaban gikan sa una hangtod karon. Ako mismo ang mu pasa sa ilaha ug mga kasinati-an (I would be able to tell all my grandchildren and the succeeding generation after the different events of change from way before until now. I myself would pass on the knowledge) said lola Juliana.

A living phenomenon in Borbon town, northern Cebu, lola Juliana is never eccentric as one would think if you have lived to be a hundred years old. She is gentle and sweet with a very contented behavior.

Juliana narrates that she wanted to learn, to read and write but her father forbade, leaving her and her sisters tending the carabaos and goats. The fourth of 12 siblings, lola Juliana would badger the boys to teach her the basics on reading and counting.

Marrying early was a common practice back then. Never one to usually conform, Juliana decided to space her child-bearing. That decision came in handy when war broke out, as they fled to find safer shelter from Leyte to nearby islands in Cebu. She and her husband Tiburcio were able to take care of their children’s needs from food, shelter and even home schooling on the basic reading, counting and writing amidst the turmoil of war.

“Swerte kaayo ang mga kabata-an karon kay gitagad gyud ilang pag-eskwela labi na sa programang Pantawid Pamilya sa gobyerno. Kung naa pa lang na nga programa sa akong panahon minus siguro ang mga pobre karon, kay minus man ang walay grado. Kung daghan pa unta ang naka-eskwela sa akong panahon apil ang mga babay, gamay ra unta ang mga pobre (Today’s youth is lucky because their education is taken cared of by program like Pantawid Pamilya. If only there was a problem similar to that during my time, there would be lesser poor. If there were a lot of people who went to school before including women, there would be lesser poor today),” said the old woman.

Though she is not a recipient of the program, some of her grandchildren and most of her neighbors are Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries and she has witnessed the difference and positive transformation.

For lola Juliana, one of her secrets to a long life is to see the goodness of everyone and everything.

Of the 152 social pensioners in Borbon, Juliana looks forward to seeing them during payday. DSWD’s Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens takes care of the various physical needs of the once young.

Lola Juliana Tarucan, may be centennial and nine but she is far from archaic for she still looks forward to living life with each new day. /CONTRIBUTOR AILEEN LARIBA