Natonin centenarian honored; life retold

By Jho Arranz

BAGUIO CITY -- Centenarian Pablo F. Amiling of Barangay Irisan who will be celebrating his 101st birthday this July was recently honored by the city government here during the flag raising ceremony at city hall grounds.

City council resolution No. 080, series of 2015 was introduced by the sangguniang panlungsod committee on social services, women and urban poor, chair and councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda.

Born on July 11, 1914 in Natonin, Mountain Province to spouses Mataag Amiling and Adchatong Fukad, Amiling was baptized by Rev. Fr. Marcell Ghyserehts, the first Belgian priest of the Catholic Church in Natonin.

He was not able to attend formal education because his father died when he was just two years old and grew up with his grandfather.

In his teenage years, he would hike from Natonin to Bontoc and vice versa as a mail carrier since there was no vehicular transportation yet in those days.

Amiling was also hired as a soldier’s helper carrying bullets from one place to another in the Cordillera during the World War II.

After the war, he married Anita Salwagan with whom he had six children. 

He raised his family as a farmer as well as hunting wild boar and deer in the jungle forest.
In 1970, his family transferred to Aguinaldo, Ifugao Province where he cultivated the land of his grandmother and his wife died in 1986.

After a year, he married Linnay Choleppa from Ifugao.  However, Linnay died in 1990 leaving behind two young children.

As customary in the Cordilleras and being the oldest person in Butac, Aguinaldo, Ifugao, Amiling became a Barangay Lupon where people would often call him to settle problems and disputes. 

In 1990, he moved to Purok 27, San Carlos Heights, Irisan barangay and stayed with one of his children, Presentacion Amiling-Coyugan because of his failing health.

The resolution honoring him reads, “despite not being able to attend formal schooling, he was able to raise and send his children to school with his hard work.  That being a devout catholic, he instilled Christian values in them and lives a humble Christian life.”

Amiling disclosed that among his secrets to a hundred long life is a simple lifestyle – he simply ate camote and all natural or organic foods and never had vices in his life, except chewing “moma” (betel nut).

Senior citizens of Baguio reaching 100 years of age have additional benefits, as provided by Ordinance 45, series of 2013. 

These include monthly check-up by a government health personnel, cash award of P10,000, a plaque of recognition and congratulatory resolution of city government and other incentives.