GILROY
– When asked how old she is, Baleriana Oyao quipped,
”
20.
”
GILROY – When asked how old she is, Baleriana Oyao quipped, “20.”
Born on June 2, 1902, Oyao turned 102 Saturday.
Living long is nothing new to the Oyao family. Oyao’s mother lived well into her 90s and her grandfather lived to 117, family members say.
Oyao’s family spans three generations, with three sons – a fourth died when he was 10 – and one daughter. Oyao has 13 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Among them, Oyao has one grandson whose name stands out: Kirk Hammett, the son of Oyao’s daughter Sash, is the lead guitarist of the San Francisco-based band Metallica.
“He is pretty good,” Oyao said.
Oyao is not able to go out much any more, but she was able to see her famous grandson perform. And while she is more or less homebound, she is still active.
Anna Boscacci, Oyao’s caregiver, describes her as still full of life and energy.
“She is still very independent,” Boscacci said. “She has an excellent sense of humor. She’s cool.”
When Oyao retired, she enjoyed traveling. Mostly to Reno to play blackjack.
“She can beat anyone at blackjack and she still can,” Boscacci said.
Originally from Siquijor, a small island in the Philippines, Oyao moved to Hawaii with her sister when she was 18. Looking for work, they found employment at plantations that grew pineapple and sugar cane.
“She was a very hard worker,” her son Ben Oyao said.
While in Hawaii, she met the man who would become her husband. Together, they worked in Hawaii for a few months before moving to San Francisco.
Ben Oyao, says his mother didn’t know English, and spent her entire time in a hotel room.
Later, the Oyaos moved to Salinas to be with other Filipino families. There, both Oyao and her husband worked in fields up and down California’s Central Coast.
After about seven years in the Salinas area, the Oyaos moved to Gilroy.
She lived in different houses before moving to her current Seventh Street place in 1964, which is also the site where Gilroy hopes to put its new arts center.
The city voted in July 2003 to purchase the lot for $310,000.
Oyao has expressed to her family that despite what the city says, she wants to continue living where she is.
“She’s here now and she wants to stay here until she dies,” said Butch Oyao, a grandson who lives with her.
Butch Oyao says he is confident that his grandmother will be able to stay. He says the city is still negotiating to purchase the lots around the house.
The arts center is slated to be completed by 2010.
The family is still trying to keep their matriarch in her house.
Despite the threat of being forced out of her house, Oyao found time to celebrate her birthday with family and friends on Saturday.
Oyao seemed overwhelmed by everyone who arrived to celebrate her birthday.
Generations filled the house, spilling into the backyard. They shared stories and the history of the family. But everyone was there to celebrate the long life of one of Gilroy’s longest living residents.
