The Philippines should promote more blue zone communities
True to my expectations, there had been increases in noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) during the Christmas holidays all over the country. Data recorded by the Department of Health from eight hospitals across the country showed a sharp increase in stroke cases, i.e., rising from 12 on Dec. 23 to 103 by Dec. 30, 2024. Alongside strokes, cases of acute coronary syndrome also rose significantly, reaching 62 by December 2024. These health issues were observed primarily to affect individuals aged 55 to 74.
The recurring but troubling vulnerability of senior citizens has reminded me of those halcyon days in my coastal hometown in Iloilo during the 1940s and 1950s when people lived longer and healthier amid a common diet of vegetables and fish and a life of constant walking, greater socialization, and more church attendance. However, after graduating from college I noticed higher incidences of NCDs in my hometown when butchered pork and beef and more cigarettes and alcohol entered our local economy.
Thinking of the vulnerability of Filipino seniors to NCDs and the low life expectancy of 72 years among Filipinos, on one hand, and the healthy lifestyle we had in my childhood, on the other, these have also reminded me of those age-friendly neighborhoods called ”Blue Zones” by explorer Dan Buettner where there are lower rates of chronic diseases and extremely high rates of nonagenarians and centenarians. These blue zones include the following places: Icaria Island in Greece, Ogliastra, Sardinia in Italy, Okinawa in Japan, the Nicoya peninsula in Costa Rica, Loma Linda in California in the US, and Singapore. In terms of geographic characteristics, blue zones are relatively warm year-round, fairly small in size, remote in location, and usually close to the ocean.
Certain common features of blue zones contribute to long life. First, the diet is plant-based—focusing mainly on fiber and protein-rich foods and less on beef, pork, and dairy. The 80-percent rule is observed, i.e., people stop eating when they feel 80-percent full. Second, moving about naturally, especially walking, is a common daily life feature. Third, social activity with family and friends, community life participation, and a strong sense of one’s purpose in life are integral factors in residents’ lives. Fourth, people observe daily rituals that reduce stress such as prayers, ancestor veneration, napping, and happy hour periods.
The Blue Zone concept has actually become popular worldwide such that there is already a Blue Zones Project in the US that tries to guide and develop more than 70 communities into blue zone areas. In the Philippines, there is the 16-hectare Saujana Premier Blue Zone project located on the cool mountain slopes of Silang, Cavite, where retirement-age citizens can live longer lives. There is also the Blue Zone project of the Mariano Marcos State University in Batac, Ilocos Norte, which aims to make MMSU the first Blue Zone university in the Philippines. The firm Lifestyle Medicine Solutions is set to establish a 150-hectare Blue Zone community in Sibunag, Guimaras.
Conscious of the Blue Zone movement, officials of Bataan have initiated in 2023 a program to promote Blue Zone living in the province. Only recently on Jan. 20, 2024, a Blue Zone summit was held in the Blue Zone Paraiso Village Farm in San Jose, Batangas through the initiative of Tony Meloto to discuss and promote wellness and long-life principles of the Blue Zone concept among different sectors in the country.
At the local level, there is a need to review LGU land use and development plans and introduce Blue Zone and livability principles that will promote elderly welfare. These principles should include the following variables: age-friendly buildings and housing structures, age-friendly and open public parks and spaces, age-friendly public transportation facilities, and environmentally healthy residential areas with tree-lined streets and walkways and community gardens. It’s about time that we promote Blue Zone communities that can help people live longer and healthier lives and can also enhance local economies.
Meliton Juanico,
melitonbjuanico@gmail.com
