A total of P36,468,500 was disbursed by the Makati City local government for the cash incentives for its senior citizen Blu Card holders, Makati City Mayor Abby Binay announced on Wednesday, June 7. According to Binay, 21,245 senior Makatizens benefitted from the cash incentive and added that the first batch of recipients conveniently received their cash incentives because they have updated their GCash accounts. “Prior to the release of the mid-year cash incentives, we announced the need to update their GCash accounts through our My Makati Facebook page. We did this to ensure that the account is under their name and other relevant information are accurate and complete,” Binay said. The city government launched the Proud Makatizen portal for the updating of the Blu Card holders’ GCash accounts from May 15 to 28. Under the Blu Card program, registered senior citizens receive their cash incentives twice a year, in June and December. For the mid-year, seniors 60 to 69 years old will receive P1,500; 70 to 79 years old, P2,000; 80 to 89 years old, P2,500; and 90 to 99 years old, P5,000. The mayor added that centenarians aged 101 and above will also receive P5,000 as a mid-year cash incentive provided that they have been a Blu Card holder for at least five years. If not, the beneficiary will only be receiving P2,500 mid-year cash incentive. She urged Blu Card holders without GCash accounts to set up their own account and keep it updated to be able to receive their benefits. Those who already have a GCash account but have not yet updated it are advised to regularly visit the My Makati Facebook page and wait for announcements on GCash account updates. Since last year, the cash incentives have been directly sent to the GCash accounts of the recipients to ensure safe, convenient, and fast delivery of their mid-year gift. On June 1, the city government relaunched its free movie program for the city's senior citizens held in Glorietta 4 and was attended by Binay, Vice Mayor Monique Lagdameo, Makati City 2nd District Rep. Luis Campos, and officials from Ayala Malls. "The past years have been challenging for everyone, particularly our senior citizens who were among the most vulnerable during the health crisis. By reinstating this initiative, we aim to provide them with a much-needed avenue for entertainment, joy, and social engagement," Binay said. According to her, the program's revival enables the city's elderly who are BLU card members and Makatizen Virtual Card holders, to watch movies again for free in Glorietta, Greenbelt, and Circuit Makati, three times a day for the first and second screenings. Aside from giving them additional entertainment and leisure, the free movies program also promotes social engagement and a sense of community among Makatizen seniors. The mayor, who is an advocate of improving the lives of her constituents, especially the elderly, said the service enhances the quality of life of Makatizen seniors and contributes to their overall well-being. The city government previously stopped the free movie program at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic as part of the minimum public health standards imposed by the national government to mitigate the spread of the virus. Senior citizens who are active Blu Card members and Makatizen Card holders only need to download their Makatizen Virtual Card at  [https://mymakatizencard.ph/virtualcard](https://mymakatizencard.ph/virtualcard) and have their Makatizen Virtual Card QR codes scanned by cinema partners to avail themselves of the free cinema tickets. To date, there are 82,617 active Blu Card holders in the city.