Proper diet, active lifestyle help Mandaue woman reach 100

AGING GRACEFULLY. Felisa Sanchez-Gerolaga (right) poses for a photo with her younger sister, Restituta Sanchez, right after the former received a P100,000 cash gift from the Mandaue City Government for turning 100 on July 12, 2022. On Tuesday, August 2, Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes and other city officials visited Gerolaga’s house to turn over the cash gift to her. / HONEY COTEJO

PROPER diet and remaining active were just some of the ways that Felisa Zanoria Sanchez-Gerolaga shared to remain healthy even though she is at an extreme age.

Gerolaga, a resident of Barangay Centro, Mandaue City, turned 100 on July 12, 2022.

After she officially became a centenarian, Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes and other officials of the city visited Gerolaga on Tuesday, August 2, to present her with a cash gift of P100,000.

With Cortes was Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (Osca)-Mandaue City head Diosdado Suico and city councilors Marie Immaline Cortes-Zafra, Jimmy Lumapas, and Cynthia Cinco Remedio.

Gerolaga told SunStar Cebu that she was very happy to have received the cash aid from the city, adding that it would be a big help for her to meet her daily needs. She also plans to share the money with her children.

Gerolaga is the second among three siblings. She and her younger sister, Restitota “Dadang” Sanchez, who will also turn 100 in two years, currently live together.

“We are very close and I cannot wait to celebrate her 100th birthday soon,” Gerolaga added.

Her older brother, she said, died at an early age due to a lung disease. Gerolaga has four children and 10 grandchildren.

Healthy living

Gerolaga said to keep herself healthy even at an extreme age, she continues to remain active through exercise and by eating right.

“I did not even realize I was already 100,” Gerolaga added.

To keep herself healthy, Gerolaga said that she eats a lot of vegetables. She said she was used to eating vegetables as she and her siblings grew up on a farm.

She added that she eats six times a day and never lets herself starve.

“I eat all kinds of food in moderation, but I eat vegetables more,” Gerolaga said.

When asked for advice for the youth to attain a long life like hers, Gerolaga said they need to listen to their parents and follow what they say, especially concerning healthy eating.

Under Republic Act 10868, also known as the Centenarians Act of 2016, senior citizens who reach the age of 100 should be honored by giving them P100,000.