FIFTY centenarians in Davao Region received P100,000 each in cash incentives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DWSD).
Of the 50 centenarians, half are from Davao City—12 from 1st district, seven from 2nd district and six from third district. Meanwhile, eight are from Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur (7), Davao de Oro (6) and Davao Oriental (4).
During the Kapehan sa Davao on Oct. 2, DSWD XI Centenarian focal person Hesed Lim said the funds for the centenarians this year are already exhausted and those centenarians who will be celebrating in the second semester of 2023 will receive their cash incentive in the first quarter of 2024.
Lim revealed there are six eligible beneficiaries as of October and the list for November and December has yet to be ironed out as the office awaits onsite applications.
Apart from the cash incentive, the beneficiaries also received a felicitation letter from Malacañan Palace signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The incentive is extended to every Filipino citizen who reaches the age of 100 pursuant to Republic Act No. 10868 or the Centenarians Act of 2016.
Lim discouraged family members from fighting for their custody for the sake of the money as the office has received an alarming number of complaints.
With that, she said they deployed social workers on the ground to ensure the cash would be received by the centenarians themselves.
“Minsan pinag aagawan ang matanda but then we always make sure that the cash incentive will be received by the centenarian mismo, actually yung mga assigned workers doon sa area binibisita at inaalam kung nabigay ba, nagamit ba ng maayos ang kanilang cash incentive,” Lim said.
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go earlier lauded the Senate approval on the third and final reading of Senate Bill No. 2028 on Sept. 25. The bill was principally sponsored by Senator Imee Marcos, and co-authored by Go will provide a lifeline to Filipino citizens who will reach 80 years of age.
Go said that if enacted into law, the proposal will provide senior citizens ages 80 and 90 a cash grant amounting to P10,000 and P20,000, respectively.
“As stated in the rationale of the Committee Report, it will have a greater impact on more senior citizens if the cash benefit is given at a time when health interventions would have mattered for a better chance of healing and achieving better health outcomes,” Go said.
“ Habang kaya pang pakinabangan at ma-enjoy ng senior citizen ang cash gift, ibigay na natin sa kanila. Maganda rin na may inaasahan ang ating mga senior citizens pagtuntong nila ng 80, 90 at 100 years old,”he added.
