Saying that he will still be able to complete the gruelling campaign trail, former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile who is celebrating his 95th birthday today, says he is capable of walking two kilometers daily
To keep him physically fit, the country’s oldest candidate in the senatorial derby and even in the midterm elecrions, said he continues to walk at least 2,000 steps.
Aside from walking, Enrile said he could also swim in the ocean, especially in his home province of Cagayan where he would stay for one week to swim “even with a strong current.”
The four-term senator uses a “smart watch” to monitor different aspects of his health to include his heartbeat, calorific consumption, and exercise duration.
The candidate, who will become a “centenarian” in office if he succeeds to secure a slot in the Senate ‘Magic 12’ this 2019, has also taken to other hi-tech devices to keep his mind sharp.
“I do not get idle,” the veteran lawmaker said, adding, “I write my own stories, my own thoughts in the computer. I do Facebook conversations and so forth.”
Enrile’s voracious appetite of reading at least 50 pages of a book per day has also kept him abreast of the latest issues across different topics and industries—including cryptocurrency.
“There are already more than 500 types of cryptocurrencies floating in the world. It is now a market—a cryptocurrency exchange. It is unregulated but many jurisdictions are starting to impose regulations. We’ll have to do it in here, and I intend to attend to this when I go to the Senate,” he said.
For his diet, Enrile maintains a loose food regimen and has previously mentioned that one of his secrets in fighting ageing is regular consumption of the vegetable saluyot or jute leaves as well as minimal rice intake of not more than one cup per meal.
“I eat lechon, chicharon, adobo, porkchop, and bagnet,” he said in an interview, adding, “Ang iniiwasan ko lang yung mga may uric acid. I am not diabetic, but I’m prone to [build-up of] uric acid [yet still] I eat monggo with dahon ng ampalaya with chicharon.”
He has also stopped smoking but continues to drink small quantities of alcohol
On the launch of the official campaign period on Tuesday, Enrile hit the road running with a kickoff rally in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan with United Nationalist Alliance bets. Macon Ramos-Araneta
He posed for photos, waved to the crowd, and gave an energetic speech just two days prior to his 95th birthday.
The many problems besetting the country prodded him to throw his hat in the Senate race.
Enrile has earlier stated that he intends to campaign on a platform of more jobs for Filipinos, lower taxes, more stable supply of energy, and better services for consumers in the telco industry.
Enrile’s prolific career in public service include roles as acting Secretary of Finance, Secretary of Justice, Minister of National Defense under the administration of both Ferdinand Marcos and Cory Aquino, Representative of the 1st District of Cagayan, Senator, and Senate President.
Enrile has served for exactly 50 years as a government official.