
Lola Igna: The Grief in Longevity
By ANA MURIEL R. VERON
HUMANS HAVE an innate fear of death. It is within everyone's genetic instinct to prolong survival. Nevertheless, one must eventually realize that death is an inevitable part of life and is not something one should be afraid of, because while dying might seem joyless, living for far too long might be more so.
Lola Igna (Angie Ferro) appears to have warded off death for as long as she has warded off the birds from her grass fields. At one-hundred and eighteen years old, she is awarded the mantle of Oldest Living Grandmother in the Philippines. While the people of the humble Baryo Alhaya eagerly await the announcement of whether or not she will also to be crowned the Oldest Living Grandmother in the World, the grouchy grandmother herself is only eager to rest ...