A bill granting Filipinos who live 101 years old with a P1 million cash incentive move closer to enactment after the House of Representatives approved the legislative on second reading on Tuesday, Jan. 25.

House Bill 10647 also provides for the grant of P25,000 to citizens when they reach the ages of 80, 85, 90 and 95.

The bill proposes to amend Republic Act No. 10868 or the Centenarians Act of 2016 that offers a P100,000 cash incentive to Filipinos who reach the age of 100.

Authors of the bill sought the amendments as they noted that only a few Filipinos are able to live until 100 years.

Since the law was implemented in 2016, only 205 Filipinos were able to avail of the P100,000 cash reward on their 100th birthday.

HB 10647 consolidated 29 separate bills filed separately by at least 50 authors. Among them are Deputy Speaker Lito Atienza (Buhay Partylist); Reps. Maria Fe Abunda (Lone District, Samar); Raul “Boboy” Tupas (5th District, Iloilo); Julienne “Jam” Baronda (Lone District, Iloilo City); Diego “Nonoy C. Ty (1st District, Misamis Occidental); Ma. Lourdes T. Arroyo (5th District, Negros Occidental); Carlito Marquez (1st District, Aklan); Jocelyn Fortuno, 5th District, Camarines Sur); Mark Go (Lone District, Baguio City); Dahlia Loyola (5th District, Cavite) and the late Francisco Datol (Senior Citizens Partylist).

If approved on third and final reading next week, HB 10647 will be sent to the Senate where at least four similar but separate measures were filed and referred to the Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Development.

None of the Senate bills contain provisions granting P1 million to persons who reach 101 years of age.