Although the average life span of Filipinos has dramatically increased in the last 40 years or so, reaching 99 years is no small feat. And when one can still move about, albeit gingerly, and retains full use of his senses, the feat is all the more enviable.

So when Manuel Vergara Panlilio reached his 99th year this July, (another) celebration was in order. On July 9 (the day before his actual birthday), 120 or so family members and friends braved a heavy downpour to surprise the good doctor with a luncheon honoring what many would consider a life well-lived.

Complementary

He began it in Mexico, Pampanga, in 1912, the eldest of four children. After graduating Ateneo de Manila with secondary honors in 1932, he entered UP PGH, College of Medicine. There, he met Herminia “Miniang” Baja, a fellow student. She was a serious and industrious type; he was mischievous and more relaxed.  Their respective approaches were counterpoint and complementary, both personally and professionally. They married in 1936, and continued their medical training, he in pediatrics, she in obstetrics and gynecology.

A few years later, “Maning” would put his medical career on hold to enter the Army infantry, encouraged by his father-in-law, Col. Emmanuel Baja. By the time World War II reached the Philippines, Maning Panlilio had reached the rank of Lt. Colonel. He was captured by the Japanese and imprisoned in Fort Santiago, where he was tortured with other Filipino and American soldiers.

He was also forced to join the Death March, but was rescued by relatives when the prisoners passed the province of Pampanga. For serving his country, he received medals and citations.

Following the war, the Panlilios established their practices in Metro Manila, where they also raised their seven children.  Over the years, Miniang Baja-Panlilio became accomplished in her own right as a scholar, academician and practitioner of obstetrics and gynecology, with a specialization in fertility and early cancer detection.

In their later years, Maning would tell his grandchildren—half-jokingly and with a twinkle in his eye—that he had “married up,” and exhort them to emulate their grandmother’s work ethic and focus.

Multiple generations

In over 50 years of practice, the couple served thousands of Filipino mothers and their children, from a wide socioeconomic range. In several cases, the husband-and-wife team cared for multiple generations of the same families. They held posts at Manila Doctors’ Hospital, St. Luke’s Hospital, UERM Hospital, and Cardinal Santos Hospital. Maning was also Chief of Pediatrics at the V. Luna Gen. Hospital, serving the children and grandchildren of Filipino soldiers.

The Panlilios formally retired in 2000 but continued to see patients on home calls, especially if they were family or friends.  The couple, who had by then been called “Papa Doc” and “Mama Doc” by family and friends for as long as anyone could remember, remained busy at their home in Greenhills, and traveled regularly to the United States, where five of their adult children live.

Most of his contemporaries have passed, as has his wife, who died in 2002. Since then, Maning has been buoyed by the comfort and company of family and friends, and maintains his equilibrium through the rhythms of routine. He continues to attend Sunday mass at the Sanctuario de San Jose, where he has been a lay minister and Knight of Columbus for decades.

On ordinary days, a lay minister sees to his Eucharistic needs at his home. Two of his children, who remain in the Philippines, are constant and active presences, as are adult grandchildren and extended family. The children from the U.S. return for extended stays at least once a year.

Oldest alumnus

Maning takes pride in his age, and is not shy about it.  When Ateneo University celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2010, he was recognized as one of the two oldest living alumni, a distinction shared by Pablo Panlilio, his first cousin.

On a more recent July afternoon, in a more intimate setting, he was not only recognized, but asked to share the secret of his longevity. He paused a moment and smiled.

“Be close to Our Lord, and do his will,” he said. “Love and cherish your wife and family. Serve your country and community.”

Then his smile got broader. “Eat moderately—to include lechon at least once a month.”  And finally: “Play mahjong at least three hours daily, to keep your brain sharp.”