CENTENARIAN. Salome Agacino Competente of Naga City turned 100 in July 2021 and received PHP100,000 from the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Region 5. The cash gift is mandated under the Centenarians Act of 2016. (Photo courtesy of DSWD-5)
MANILA – As the country celebrates the 2021 Elderly Filipino Week (Linggo ng Katandaang Pilipino), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reported it has already distributed the PHP100,000 cash gift to 1,130 centenarians nationwide.
The data provided as of August 2021 was in compliance with Republic Act No. 10868 or the Centenarians Act of 2016.
Under the law, all Filipinos who reach 100 years old, whether residing in the Philippines or abroad, will be honored with a Letter of Felicitation from the President and a cash gift.
In a statement on Friday, the DSWD reiterated its reminder to relatives of the centenarians that they must submit primary documents such as birth certificates and Philippine passports to the City or Municipal Social Welfare Office and the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) in their localities in order to avail of the benefits.
If both documents are unavailable, any one of the primary identification cards issued by OSCA, Government Service Insurance System, and Social Security System; driver’s license; Professional Regulations Commission license; and Commission on Elections voter’s ID, will be accepted.
Secondary documents of the centenarians may also be submitted in the absence of the primary documents or identifications.
The DSWD coordinates with local government units and the Philippine Statistics Authority to determine the estimated number of centenarians for the coming year.
The Department said it is undertaking measures to improve planning and budgeting for a more effective implementation of the law. (PNA)
