Oldest woman of Sagada dies at 104

By Gina Dizon

SAGADA, Mountain Province -- Alapo’y Danunan christened Maximina Sebnangen died of old age March 23, at age 104.

She should have turned 105 on April 12, and having lived a long life, people here are wondering what her diet was.

Annie “Dang-on” Timpac, one of her seven children said her mother ate more of ‘pising’ (gabi) and ‘sabeng’ with rice or ‘ubi’ or camote. 

Pising is gabi cooked the simple way in water and salt.  

Her food included “sabeng” soup made of ricewine and grounded corn. 

She only tasted “food of today” like pansit, spaghetti and macaroni and small helpings of meat.

Her grandchild Carol said, “When she died at 104 years old, she was neither bed-ridden nor sick of any heavy illness. She had never been sick of common illnesses today like diabetes, cancer or hypertension. At her age, she was still able to move around within the vicinity of her house.  She just bade goodbye to go to the other side of the world”.

Her food  hundred percent organic  must have been the secret to her long life including her regular work in the fields.

Alapo’y Danunan as she is fondly called by her grandchildren and great grandchildren goes to the fields as part of her regular routine common to women and men of the olden days.

She has seven children and 159 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Maximina ‘Danunan’ Sebnangen Pangda is from Tetep-an, Sagada married to Pangda who traces his roots from Sagada and Besao.  

Their seven children are Day-asen married to Laura of Sagada, Dailay married to Presca of Sagada, Kagamay married to Alfonso of Barlig, Lakmaan married to Lillian of Besao, Kollebeng married to Burgos of Sagada, Dang-on married to Basali of Sagada, Pokiyew married to Darla of Sagada, and Sukag married to Violeta of Benguet.