104-year-old grandma casts vote in Iloilo town

ILOILO CITY — A 104-year old grandmother of 13 grandchildren amazed her fellow voters in Barangay Cabilauan, New Lucena, Iloilo when she cast her votes around 10 a.m. Monday.

In a radio interview, Lucila S. Sobremisana, who will be turning 105 in October 31 this year and shared that despite her age, she makes sure to always vote every election because it gives her happiness.

“I will choose those who will do good for our town,” she said in dialect.

She claimed that she will never tolerate candidates who buy votes and even branded them as corrupt.

“I will never vote for them, I will never accept money coming from them,” she said as she attributed the PHP100,000 cash gift for centenarians, of which she is a recipient, good governance.

The gift from the national government is given through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on top of the other cash gifts from the local governments.

Using her wheelchair, Sobremisana braved the scorching heat of the sun but was also thankful that senior citizens like her is given a privilege through an express lane, thus she was able to vote ahead of the others.

She also scored younger voters who do not value the electoral process.

“They do not understand the significance of choosing good leaders,” she added.

Sobremisana was assisted by a volunteer of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting when she went inside the clustered precinct of Barangay Cabilauan.