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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Senate fine-tunes bill granting cash gifts to centenarians

Senate fine-tunes bill granting cash gifts to centenarians

Published Feb 8, 2023 04:05 pm

The Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development is fine-tuning a bill giving an advance cash gift of P10,000 to 80- to 90-year-old senior citizens on top of the P100,000 given to Filipino centenarians.

The fine-tuning of Senate Bill No. 21 filed by Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. through a technical working group (TWG) was decided by Senator Imee Marcos, committee chairman, after a hybrid public hearing Wednesday, February 8.

Revilla estimated that the government needs to come up with P4.5-billion to finance the measure once it is enacted into law. His bill seeks to amend Republic Act No. 10868, known as the Centenarians Act.

During the public inquiry, Marcos enjoined concerned government agencies and stakeholders to provide updated data needed by the Committee's Technical Working Group (TWG) to fine-tune the specific proposals in the bill

“I have a soft spot for our senior citizens in whose eyes we see stories etched in history, and whose lines across their foreheads teach us that in the twilight years of life, we carry not gold or silver but lessons that we pass along to the next generation,” Revilla said.

“Today we will be tackling important measures that seek to bring social justice closer to the people... life is short, and the least we can do for our elderly countrymen is to ensure that while they are still here with us, they get to experience and enjoy benefits and assistance from the State. Let's make this phase of their lives easier,” he added.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian believes that it is time to amend the Centenarians Act ‘’so that more senior citizens would be able to enjoy the assistance provided by the government.’

Gatchalian pointed out that not many Filipinos live up to 100 years to enjoy the benefits of the Centenarians Act of 2016.

“Just to extend the hand of government to those who turned 80 or 90 and to make them feel that they are still a productive group of the society,” Gatchalian, one of the authors of the measures.

He, however, took issue with the implementors of the Act who require that the 100-year-old citizens to produce their school records to be able to get the cash reward.

Producing these records require about two years of waiting time and these centenarians could hardly leave their homes, he added.

Aside from criticizing the practicality issue of such a requirement, Gatchalian wants that the inflation factor be considered.

The value of P100,000 before is now P79,000 because of roller coaster inflation. Gatchalian said the amount of this cash reward should be reviewed every three years.

Related Tags

Senate Committee on Social Justice Welfare and Rural Development Centenarians Act of 2016
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