Cordillera Administrative Region – The Department of Social Welfare and Development here awarded Mr. Pedro Sacragon Bangguiyac the centenarian grant of Php 100,000.00 at Babbanoy, Tanudan, Kalinga on 20 August 2021. 102 year old Bagguiyac is recognized as the fourth centenarian in Tanudan, Kalinga.

Bagguiyac is one of the few remaining maingors in the province of Kalinga. Maingor is a term that refers to the warriors of the Kalinga tribe. They are distinguished by their batok or body tattoos.

Apart from the 100,000.00 cash grant personally delivered by DSWD FO CAR, Bangguiyac also received a letter of Felicitation for reaching one century from President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.

Idi naipasa ti Centenarian Law, isu ti maysa kadagiti makita mi nga gapu na nga inmat-atiddug ti biyag na. Tadta nga naawat na, agpasalamatak ti DSWD. (When the Centenarian Law was passed, reaching this age has become one of our father’s goals. We are grateful to DSWD.)” said Segundo Bangguiyac, one of the six children of the centenarian.

“Ni Apo Bangguiyac ket maysa kadagijay natured nga nakilaban idi tiyempo ti giyera kadagiti hapon. Nagsirbi metlang isuna iti gobyerno a kas maysa nga barangay official ijay Lubo. Isu siguro nga atiddug ti biyag na ta adu iti naitulong na iti ili mi ijay Tanudan. Kas maysa a panglakayen nga respetaren ken dinggen ti umili, dakkel ti kontribusyon na iti amicable settlement iti naduma duma kaso iti ili tayo. (Apo Bangguiyac was one of the brave men who fought during our fight with the Japanese. He also served as a barangay official in Lubo, Tanudan. His contributions in the Municipality of Tanudan might be one of the reasons that he is granted a long life. As one of the elders, the community respects and listens to his words. He has huge contributions when it comes to amicable settlements of different conflicts in our community.”, Tanudan Mayor Jaedicke Rhoss Dagadag said.

April Rose Soliaban, one of the staff of DSWD FO CAR, shared that during her conversation with Apo Bangguiyac, he jested that he would like to see his photo displayed inside the provincial astrodome of Kalinga. This is to serve as his memoire  that there was a Pedro Bagguiyac who reached a hundred years old.

To date, there are 97 centenarians who were granted recognition in the Cordilleran Administrative Region.

The provision of a cash grant of Php 100,000.00 and the handing of the Letter of Felicitation for any Filipino who may reach the age of 100 is mandated under the Republic Republic Act No. 10868 s. of 2016 or the Centenarians Act of 2016.#DSWD FIELD OFFICE CAR, SOCIAL MARKETING UNIT, JEZEBEL L. GUMATAY