Makati Mayor Nancy Binay personally distributes the cash incentives to senior citizens of Guadalupe Viejo who were not able to receive their benefits since 2024. Lack of access to GCash was the main reason for the delay. (Photo from Makati PIO)

Makati City Mayor Nancy Binay personally led the house-to-house distribution of unclaimed cash incentives to Makati Blu Card holders who failed to receive them last year.

Binay said more than 12,000 elderly residents failed to receive their cash incentives last year, citing the lack of cellphones and failure to update their GCash accounts as the main reasons.

“As promised, their cash incentives are being delivered at their doorstep. This is to ensure that they receive it personally without hassles or glitches. This benefit is for them, so let’s spare them from any burden or difficulty in obtaining it," Binay said as she started the distribution in barangays Guadalupe Nuevo, Kasilawan, Pinagkaisahan, Carmona, Valenzuela, and Singkamas.

Distribution schedules for the remaining barangays will be announced in the coming days.

Asuncion Marcelino, a 69-year-old resident of Barangay Guadalupe Viejo, expressed her gratitude to the mayor for fulfilling her promise to them. 

According to her, she last received the cash incentive in 2022 after losing her cellphone and GCash account. She was then involved in an accident in 2023, preventing her from obtaining a new GCash account.

"Ako po ay nagpapasalamat kay Mayor Nancy Binay at nakatanggap ako ngayon at nagawa niya rin ang kanyang pangako sa aming mga senior. Nahirapan man ako noon, natanggap ko rin ngayon na buo (I am grateful to Mayor Nancy Binay that I finally received the cash aid today. She has fulfilled her promise to our seniors. Even though I had a hard time before, I finally received it now in full)," she said.

First-time cash aid recipient, 63-year-old Bien Victor Cabrera, was also very happy that a GCash account is no longer a requirement in claiming cash incentives.

“Ngayon lang po ako nakatanggap. Nagpapasalamat ako kay Mayora ngayon sa pag-apruba na ibigay sa amin na walang kahirap-hirap. Mas maganda ang kalakaran ngayon, makikita mo talaga na nag-improve ngayon kaya wala akong masasabi kundi maraming salamat po (This is my first time receiving this aid. I am grateful to the mayor for approving it and giving it to us without any difficulty. Things are better now; you can really see that it has improved now, so I have nothing else to say but thank you very much)," Cabrera said.

Senior citizen Marichu Abiera shared that she last received the cash aid in 2023. 

However, her GCash account encountered some problems, making her unable to receive the incentive in 2024.

"Masaya ako na aktibo ang pamamalakad ngayon. Hindi kasi ako masyadong marunong sa GCash. Noong nabubuhay pa ang asawa ko, siya talaga ang nag-aasikaso. Nagpapasalamat ako kasi kusa talaga na natanggap ko siya ngayon pandagdag sa panggastos ko (I'm happy that the process is much better now because I'm not very familiar with GCash. When my husband was alive, he was the one who took care of it. I'm very grateful now because I have received the cash aid without difficulty)," Abiera said.

Under City Ordinance No. 2025-104, the total cash incentives to be received in two equal installments by every active member of the Blu Card Program are as follows: P4,000 for ages 60–69, P5,000 for 70–79, P6,000 for 80–89, P11,000 for 90–99, and P12,000 for ages 101 and above. 

Those who will celebrate their 100th birthday will continue to receive P100,000 and a plaque of appreciation from the city government. 

As of June of this year, there are 54,017 active Blu Card holders in the city.