Surrounded by children, grandchildren, great grand children and great great grand children, and
the promise of more to come, Pedro Laquinta Samuya (Lolo Indong to his family and friends), a retired Boholano guerrilla warrior, teacher and municipal mayor turned
107 on Wednesday, June 17, and is nowhere near to slowing down.
Samuya might be the province’s oldest man, surviving
mayor and world war veteran.
What’s the secret to his longevity?
“Mag-ampo ra. Kini karun santos ang sandiganan
nako. Kana Santisima Trinidad ug San Roque. Mao na gitug-an sa akong
inahan nga debusyunan para makatabang nako ug para walay panulay makasugal. Tinuod jud na (I always pray. My favorite
saints have helped me especially my devotion to the Santisima Trinidad and San
Roque. My mother told me to continue keep my devotion to help me through my
hardships and to ward off devils),” said Samuya.
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| Pedro Samuya celebrates his 107th birthday .-Photo by Joshua Fullido |
Besides keeping busy, Samuya believes his diet has
played a big role in getting to 107. He mainly consumes fruit, vegetables and
fish. He likes poultry and seafood, but he rarely eats pork, beef and carabeef.
He credits a very special vegetable for his good
health and longevity: horseradish tree or malunggay.
““Kamunggay jud ang number 1..perti ka sustansya na
(Malunggay is the number one, it’s super nutritious),” said Samuya.
His youngest daughter Cecilia Samuya-Asoy,65, said
that his father’s meal includes fish and law-oy (vegetable stew) with lots of
malunggay leaves.
“Mao na iyang request kanang law-oy. Hilig na siya
law-oy nga naay kamunggay, (He asks for vegetable stew in his meal. He likes
law-oy so much with malunggay),” said Samuya-Asoy.
Samuya could still walk but lately he’s using cane
for balance. He could still read without eyeglasses. And Samuya remained mentally sharp and still possessed what his children
described as “amazing” long-term memory. He ably conversed with his grandkids,
except he has to use a hearing aid to hear them better.
It's hard to image a world before television,
radio, cars, or cell phones, but Samuya is alive to tell what Bohol was like in
the early 1900s.
“Kining lugara kakahuyan pa ni unya daghan sagbut
mga bugang nanubo diri. Walay usa nagpuyo pero dinilang ko mingpuyo, (This
place (San Isidro town) had many trees and pampas grass trees sprouted
naturally. No one lives here but I decided to settle down here,” said Samuya.
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| Pedro Samuya with the late Pres. Ferdinand Marcos when the former was chosen as the Most Outstanding Mayor of the Philippines in 1977. –Courtesy: Samuya Family |
Samuya lives at his old house in San Isidro which
was destroyed by the earthquake in 2013. He may be at his home, but that's not
stopping him from getting some exercise.
He spends his days walking inside the house,
seating in a small chair outside the house to look for passers and praying in a
small chapel adjacent to his room.
He stays healthy and vibrant until he became a
centenarian. Solitude may have its benefits,
according to children. Samuya’s wife Tiburcia died on August 2, 2000 when Samuya was in his late nineties. But he didn’t remarry, instead
choosing to keep himself busy in public service and other community activities.
“Mananggot pa na siya maskin 80 years old na siya
para himuon niyang tuba (At 80 years old, Lolo Indong climbed coconut trees to
collect sap from the palm’s flowers for tuba, a coconut sap wine),” said great
grandchild Jaime Laquinta, 46. “Bag-o pa na siya dili na makaadto sa iyang baul
(It is just lately that he could not visit his little farm).”
Samuya has without any serious illnesses or
ailments. But the family was very anxious when Samuya
injured in a fall and wounded his head two days after typhoon Yolanda in 2013
while walking in the terrace while raining, said Samuya-Asoy. He was brought to
Catigbian District Hospital for treatment and he had to endure pain. He worried
he wouldn’t be able to pray.
But as he recovered, Samuya kept praying and
walking, Samuya-Asoy said.
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Second world war veteran Pedro Samuya wearing
his
guerrilla uniform. Courtesy: Samuya Family
|
He fills his days with praying, walking and visits
from family, including great-great-grandchildren.
“I just am thankful for every day that passes that
I’ll be able to pray,” Samuya said.
Samuya taught his children the life of prayer and
humility.
“Iyang gibilin ni papa namo kanang ‘have faith in
God, forget worries’. Mao jud nay kanunay gihatag sa iyang mga anak, (Father
told us to have faith in God and forget worries),” said Samuya-Asoy.
“Iyang pagkadiyosnon..gihatag niya mga anak
niya.mao na iyang gipamatuto namo hangtud karun. Iyang pagkamatinud-anon sa
pagservice sa mga tawo nga kinasingkasing nga walay kapin kun kulang, (He
taught us to be prayerful. We saw him being sincere in his public service, how
he served the people)” said Liliosa Samuya-Bahulay.
Pedro Samuya was born on June 17, 1908 to Dominggo,
a farmer, and Matea, a housekeeper, from Antequera town. He married Tiburcia Verdad Suaybaguio on Feb. 10, 1994 solemnized by
Rev. Fr. Arnold Villas. They have four children who are still alive: Quirino,
71, a retired elementary teacher; Requillo, 69, a retired teacher and town
mayor of San Isidro in Bohol; Liliosa, 66, a retired budget officer; and
Cecilia, 65, a retired master teacher.
Now, Samuya has 18 grandchildren, 13 great grand
children and 15 great great grand children.
Samuya taught automotive engineering at the Cebu
Institute of Technology (CIT) in 1934-1940. He joined the Antequera Bolo
movement during the second world war in 1942-1945. He taught elementary at San
Isidro Central School in 1946-1966.
When barangay Agbun of Antequera (then became
barangay of Catigbian town) was created into San Isidro town in 1969, Samuya
was the first appointed mayor. He was also the first elected mayor from
1970-1980.
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The human life span has reduced drastically and we
hardly
see people surviving past 100 years. But for Pedro Samuya,
he credits
God and malunggay for longevity.
-Photo
by Joshua Fullido
|
In 1977, he was awarded as one of The Outstanding
Mayors of the Year from the Philippine Life for “his outstanding local
executive who has rendered distinguished and exemplary performance in the New
Society.” In 1978, he also received the Defender of Good Government,
Outstanding Mayor of the Year and Model Citizen of the New Society from the
members of the Executive Development and Research of the Philippines for his “performance in the field of education, health, peace
and order, social welfare and your effort
in bringing up the ideals of good government closer to the
people.”
He also created the San Isidro High School for
students would no longer study in the neighboring towns of Antequera and Catigbian. He also founded the senior
citizens association in his hometown.
