Senator Win Gatchalian said Filipino elderlies reaching the age of eighty (80) and ninety (90) will soon have the chance to enjoy a cash gift of P10,000 and P20,000, respectively, as the Senate approved on third and final reading Senate Bill No. 2028. The bill seeks to expand the coverage of the Centenarians Act of 2016 which currently grants P100,000 to those who reach the age of 100.
Under the present law, only those who reach the age of 100 enjoy the benefit of the P100,000 cash gift. The proposed measure stipulates that beneficiaries are eligible to receive their cash gifts within one (1) year from reaching the ages of 80, 90, and 100.
Living to reach eighty, ninety, or even a hundred years has become a rarity, thus not too many Filipinos enjoy the benefits afforded by the Act Recognizing The Octogenarians, Nonagenarians, And Centenarians, said Gatchalian, co-author of the bill.
Based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), there were some 7.5 million senior citizens in the country in 2015 and around 10% or around 790,000 are estimated to be aged 80 to 90 years old.
”Sa wakas, pati ang mga lolo’t lola natin na umabot ng 80 o hanggang 90 years old ay mabibiyayaan na rin ng regalo na maaaring makatulong sa kanilang pang-araw-araw na pamumuhay, at habang naghihintay sila ng mas malaking regalo pagdating nila ng 100 years old,” Gatchalian said.
