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Oldest Woman in Ifugao Still Reads the Bible Without the Need for Eyeglasses

Bugan Datong, the oldest woman in Ifugao, still reads the Bible even without the aid of eyeglasses. She shares her secrets to an extended life.

Bugan Datong, the oldest woman in Ifugao Province, still reads the Bible even without the help of eyeglasses.

Her name is Bugan Datong and she is known as the oldest Igorot woman in Gohang, Banaue, Ifugao, Philippines. Every morning she wakes up early and sits in front of her house. With her naked eyes, she reads her Bible from morning until evening.

Most of the time she reads orally that you can hear what she is reading. Her eyes and her Bible can only rest when she eats her meals and during night time when she's asleep.

According to her, it is her joy and pleasure to read her Bible every day. She had been doing this for five years from now. Her neighbors always see her reading her book every day.

Bugan Datong reading the Holy Bible

In front of her house is a public passageway. Passers-by especially those whose first time to see her surprised upon looking at her reading her book without wearing eyeglasses. That even while they were walking they kept looking back at her saying with one another: "Look, that old woman knew how to read!" "Her eyes can see the letters and the words clearly!" Some of them stopped walking and paused for a while to hear if she reads the words correctly.

When they proved that this old woman read it correctly, they smiled at her and expressed their praise and appreciation to her. They said to her in a joke: "Bless us grandma that we may also live a long life like you. We rarely see an old aged like you reading with her naked eyes." Then she smiled at them and replied positively.

Indeed, she never wore eyeglasses ever since she was young up to the present. She used to read the English Bible, "King James Version." Recently her nephew and niece donated a Bible translated into "Ifugao Version" which she is using now.

This old woman is a widow with six (6) children. She is kind and generous. Her husband, Bacnis Hinnayyop passed away in December 2008.

Moreover, she only finished grade IV but she also memorized some of her favorite Christian Songs even without looking at a copy or "codigo." Her memory is as strong as her vision as well.

Furthermore, she also knew how to dance the "Ifugao Native Dance" but can't do it this time for she is physically weak due to her age.

Above everything, her hidden secret is very simple. Ever since she was still strong she was very industrious. She worked hard in the ricefields and the mountains. She only ate foods from her plants and meats from her fowls which she raised at home. In short, her foods throughout her whole life were all ORGANIC.

Many people believed that these organic foods are the major factors why she lived a long life with a strong vision which is true. Christians are also aware that it was all her blessings from God Yahweh in heaven which is also true. Hence, her Hidden Secret is now revealed.

Bugan Datong reading the Holy Bible

Unforgettable Experience of Bugan Datong

Wayback to her previous and unforgettable experience in life she became a Christian in 1971. From then she goes to church every Sunday. One time in 1974 she almost dies with a chronic stomach ulcer that she became thin and skinny. Through her faith and prayers, she was healed.

Her healing made her more faithful to God. God tested her faith when an unexpected tragedy happened in 1990.

The native house where they were staying with her husband got burned and turned into ashes that nothing else was saved. No matter how she was not dismayed but continued serving God.

In 2005 Pastor Virginia Imperial (daughter of Bugan Datong) pioneered the Gohang Christian Fellowship Church (GCFC). This church is independent up to the present. Since then, Bugan Datong was one of the church's members wherein, her whole spiritual life was maintained, strengtened, and matured.

She thanked God for blessing her with a long life with a strong vision that she can read until this time.

Source: Josie Zynbak


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