{sidebar id=5}They were: former Governor Vicente M. Cerilles, 84 and an 89-year old widow Magdalena S. Rosillosa.  Provincial Health Officer Corazon Silla-Ariosa was also invited for the anchors Provincial Administrator Pepito Degamo and DXBZ Program Manager Marivi Jongco to find out the possibility that maximum age mean for Filipinos would  reach at 100 years.

According to Dra. Ariosa, life expectancy for Filipinos has been increasing.  In the 1980's life expectancy was 61.6 years, it was increased to 64 years in 1990s and in 2000s it already reached to 72.8 years.

Ariosa noted that in Central Luzon and Central Visayas regions life expectancy are 71.7 and 7.2 respectively while the ARMM recorded the lowest with 59.3 years life expectancy.

Ariosa believed that life expectancy is higher in urban areas, which is true to highly developed countries in Europe and Japan.  So far, the longest life expectancy record in the world is in France where a French woman whose maximum lifespan was 122 years and 4 months.

The doctor said one factor is genetics. Secondly, she opined that it may be because of advance technology and the government’s campaign on good health habits.

For several decades now, former Governor Cerilles is the lone surviving political pillar of Zamboanga del Sur.  His contemporaries like Mano Javier Ariosa, Ben Arao and many more had joined the Creator several years back.

When asked what could be his secret? “It is positive outlook in life,” the political icon in the province replied.  Considering the politics is the most stressful world to join but for the senior Cerilles, he said he never keep permanent enemies only permanent friends.”

Lola Daleng, on the other hand, shared that since birth, she never experienced serious illness and not a single day she got hospitalized.  At 89, she still fetches water usually carrying 2 gallons from a faucet less than a kilometer away from her house; she washes clothes and cooks their food.  She lives with two grandchildren upon the support of their parents and some of her children at Barangay Sicpao, Mahayag.

What’s her secret? Lola Daleng attributed her long life to her genes aside from taking extra care of her health.  Her lola died at the age of 200.  It was her lola who told her not to take a bath when her body is tired.

Cerilles, therefore said that happiness plus positive attitude in life contribute much to the longevity of a person.