CEBU CITY, Cebu (PIA) — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Central Visayas will continue administering the Social Pension Program for indigent senior citizens, while the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) is set to take over the implementation of the Centenarian Act starting in 2025.
Under Republic Act (RA) 10868, also known as the Centenarian Act of 2016, Filipino citizens who reach the age of 100 are entitled to receive a cash gift of P100,000 and a Presidential Letter of Felicitation.
Starting 2025, this program will transition to the NCSC in compliance with RA 11350, which mandates the transfer of senior citizen-related functions, programs, projects, and activities from the DSWD to the NCSC.
DSWD 7 reported that from 2016 to 2024, a total of 1,023 centenarians in Central Visayas received their P100,000 cash gift, amounting to P102.3 million.
Of these centenarians, 77 percent (792 individuals) were women, while 23 percent (231 individuals) were men.
The transition of the Centenarian Act’s implementation involves the turn over of data, technology, processes, and funding, alongside the transfer of personnel currently handling the program at the DSWD to ensure a seamless process.
Meanwhile, the Social Pension Program, which features an increased monthly stipend of P1,000, will continue under the DSWD.
DSWD-7 regional director Shalaine Marie S. Lucero confirmed that the DSWD will maintain its role in administering the program through direct payouts or fund transfers to local government units (LGUs).
“There is no update yet on when the implementation of the Social Pension Program will transfer to the NCSC. For now, we will continue to steward this program for the elderly,” she stated.
In 2024, all 299,737 beneficiaries of the Social Pension Program in the region received the increased stipend of P1,000 per month, amounting to P12,000 annually to assist with their basic needs.
Expanded Centenarian Act
This year, the NCSC begins implementing RA 11982, or the Expanded Centenarian Act, alongside RA 10868.
The expanded act introduces financial grants for senior citizens celebrating milestone birthdays at ages 80, 85, 90, and 95, in addition to the P100,000 cash gift for centenarians who reach 100 years old.
Those in the milestone age brackets will each receive P10,000.
The NCSC Cluster 4, which oversees Regions 6 (Western Visayas) and 7 (Central Visayas), is headquartered in the former IBP Building within the Cebu Provincial Capitol compound in Cebu City. (MYP/PIA7 with reports from DSWD7)
