Romualdez bats for sufficient funding for expanded Centenarian’s Act

By Jose Cielito Reganit, Philippine News Agency

FILE: CENTENARIAN GIFT. A Department of Social Welfare and Development staff turns over a PHP100,000 cash gift to a centenarian at the municipal hall of Pagudpud in Ilocos Norte on March 19, 2024. (Photo: Municipal Government of Pagudpud-LGU/Facebook)

MANILA – Speaker Martin Romualdez on Thursday supported calls for sufficient funding of the amended Centenarian’s Act, which gives a PHP10,000 cash gift to senior citizens who reach the age milestones of 80, 85, 90, and 95.

“I welcome the recent approval of amendments to the Centenarian’s Act under Republic Act (RA) 11982. This is a significant step in ensuring that our elders, who have dedicated their lives to their families and communities, receive the recognition and care they truly deserve,” he said in a statement as he joined the country’s celebration of Elderly Filipino Week.

“During this celebration of Elderly Week, let’s take the opportunity to align the legislature and executives’ objectives in getting the funding needed to roll out the additional benefits for our beloved seniors,” he said.

Romualdez said he fully supports recent proposals made by the House Committee on Senior Citizens chairperson and Senior Citizens Party-list Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes on meeting the law’s funding requirement.

Ordanes earlier said the Department of Budget and Management considers sourcing the necessary funds either from the Department of Social Welfare and Development savings or from the Unprogrammed Funds of the 2024 General Appropriations Act.

“Given the relatively modest amount required and the urgency of delivering this benefit, tapping into these existing resources is both practical and feasible,” Romualdez said.

He also endorsed the call to clarify the implementation of RA 11982, particularly for those senior citizens whose birthdays fall between the date of the law’s passage and its publication, to ensure that all eligible seniors receive their entitlements within the prescribed time frame.

205 Ilocos Region centenarians get cash gift 

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has distributed a total of PHP20.5 million from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30 as cash gift to a total of 205 centenarians in the Ilocos Region.

Of the total, 88 are from Pangasinan, 32 from La Union, 41 from Ilocos Sur, and 44 from Ilocos Norte.

DSWD Ilocos Region Social Pension Program Management Office head Eliza Aroming, in a phone interview on Thursday, said they target around 250 beneficiaries annually for the centenarian program.

“We still have 45 slots for the centenarian program for the last quarter of 2024,” she said.

Meanwhile, a total of 205,277 of the 206,074 indigent elderly in the Ilocos Region have received their third quarter allocation under the social pension program of the national government.

The PHP500 monthly allocation for each beneficiary was increased to PHP1,000 this year, and it is distributed to them on a quarterly basis, Aroming said.

“Purpose po niya (ay para sa) augmentation, para sa daily living and medical expenses of senior citizens (It is intended for augmentation, for the daily living and medical expenses of the senior citizens),” she said.

Aroming reiterated that only indigents are included in the pension program.

“Aside from (the fact that) they are 60 years old and above, they should be frail, sickly, or has disability; not receiving pension from other institutions; no support from family or relatives; and no source of income,” she added.