10 lessons: Living a happy retirement in the Philippines

The following is a speech delivered by community activist and balikbayan retiree Monin Muriera Navarro at the Rotary Club in Baguio City, Philippines. 

I have been working since I was 20 years old. My last employment was for an engineering company in the US. We had 68 offices in the US, Canada, and Australia. I was the only Filipino administrative manager. I’m 5 feet tall so when we had management meetings, I had to sit on a high chair to be seen.

When I planned my retirement, the first thing that came to mind was not having to wake up at 6 in the morning 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year.

I came home to Baguio and for the first 3 months I did just that – sleep late, wake up late. Then it became boring. I felt like I needed to do more.

So, I did some soul-searching and this is what I ended up doing to keep my retirement life not only interesting and exciting, but also meaningful.

Here are some lessons I’ve picked up along the way:

1) Keep learning

I believe one is never too old to learn. I read something about happiness that proved to be a life-changing lesson for me. I used to think that my happiness depended upon my husband, my children, or the circumstances around me. Then I read that happiness is a choice. I can choose to be happy or I can choose to be miserable.

It can be as simple as learning something new, such as how to open a wine bottle without a corkscrew: put the bottle in a shoe and gently tap on a hard surface – the cork will slowly come off.

For those who are computer savvy, learning is easy these days. All you have to do is use Google. I learned how to unlock a smart phone that way. If one is not into computers, reading is the best way to learn. If you don’t like reading but would rather watch TV, watch the news in addition to your teleserye.

The point is to learn something that you didn’t know before.

2) Look for something worthwhile to do

I spend my time with things I feel passionate about. My interest is preserving our heritage sites – and we have so many of them in Baguio.

I was lucky enough to have been recruited to be a trustee for the Baguio Heritage Foundation Inc, a non-profit, non-stock corporation that is working to protect and preserve Baguio’s heritage sites, among others.  

I’m also proactive on issues that confront our city – overdevelopment, illegal logging, traffic and air quality, and the preservation of our parks. I join protests as long as it’s about something I believe in.

No matter where you’re retired. There’s always something worthwhile to do around you.

3) Try to make a difference

I don’t know. I am only one person and Baguio is beset with so many problems but I do whatever I can. I am inspired by the words of Benjamin Franklin who said: “The responsibility of a country is not in the hands of a privileged few…we are strong and we are free from tyranny as long as each one of us remembers his or her duty as a citizen…whether it is to report a pothole in the street or lies in the state of the union …speak out and ask those questions…demand the truth…democracy is not a free ride.”

If I see people throwing trash anywhere, I ask that they find a trash can somewhere and dispose of the trash properly. When I walk to Teachers Camp and I see garbage blocking the water flow on the brook that is part of the Balili River, I tell the management about it. More often than not, they send someone to remove the trash.  

As I grow older I realize I have so much to be grateful for: family, friends, health. I stay involved with my children and grandchildren but I don’t intrude in their lives. I’m grateful to live in a lifetime where I witnessed when man first walked on the moon, saw pictures of the universe that had never been seen before, experienced advances in technology that are mind-blowing like the amazing things that our cell phones can do, the Internet, drones, solar-powered cars, and solar and wind energy that I hope will end our dependence on oil and fossil fuels.

4) Look for joy wherever you can find it

There are so many terrible things happening all over the world – climate change, ISIS, Ebola, and corruption in all levels of government here and in other countries – that we have to find joy whenever and wherever we can or we will all go crazy. So, I never pass up enjoying something no matter how common it is.

There’s this tree at Teachers Camp that must be the favorite of birds because whenever I pass by it, they are always chirping in different tunes like a chorus in concert. If I go early enough, I would catch the newly risen sun peeking through the trees in a burst of sun rays.

My source of joy could be something as simple as my grandson coming home from school and proudly announcing he bought me pasalubong, which turns out to be a flattened brownie because he accidentally sat on it. Or my granddaughter Gaia, writing a poem about me in Filipino and emailing me from Texas saying she wishes she could be like me when she grows old.

Joy doesn’t have to be the “oh-glory-hallelujah” type. It’s a matter of recognizing it when it happens.

5) Make young friends

My daughters’ friends are my friends and I listen to them talk about their work, their achievements, sometimes their love life, or how and why they broke up with their boyfriends or girlfriends. It is refreshing to mix with the young ones and get their opinions on different issues.

6) Travel when you can 

There is so much to see in this world. I lived in the US for more than 30 years and still have not seen several parts of it. But the parts that I’ve been to that I enjoyed the most are usually the road less travelled and not the big cities.

7) Keep an open mind 

As we get older we tend to get set in our ways – so I remind myself to be open to new ideas. The world is constantly changing and we have to go with the flow or get left behind.

8) Have a good sense of humor  

There’s nothing like a good laugh to charge those endorphins. Having a good sense of humor reduces stress, helps you cope with pain, creates empathy. Remember, laughter is the best medicine.

9) Listen to music and dance!

I cannot imagine a world without music. Can you?

10) Stay fit and exercise 

I take my walks at the oval at Teachers Camp. The charge per ticket is P35 but senior citizens get 50% discount so we can use one ticket twice. The track is rubberized so it’s easy on the feet and there’s always a security guard on duty so it’s a safe place to walk even late in the afternoon.

When I walk, I kind of dance and walk to the music I’m listening to. I know what you’re thinking, people will think I’m crazy.

Seriously, at my age, who fucking cares?

In closing, I do not let my age control my lifestyle, I let my lifestyle control my age.

Thank you. – Rappler.com 

Monin Navarro worked for more than 32 years in the US. Her last position was Administrative Manager for a global employee-owned engineering, architecture, and science consulting firm. She retired in 2010 and spends her time between Baguio and Costa Mesa, California, USA. When in Baguio, she participates in activities involving preservation and restoration of heritage sites.