DAVAO CITY (PIA) — The National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) Region XI is expecting to process and to release cash benefits to 3,515 octogenarians and nonagenarians, and 29 centenarians in the region in the first quarter of 2025.
NCSC XI Commissioner Ida Yap-Patron said that these potential beneficiaries will mark their milestone age in January, February and March this year.
Under the Expanded Centenarian Act or Republic Act No. 11982, the elderly reaching the age of 80, 85, 90 and 95 will receive P10,000 cash gift each.
This is the amended RA 10868, which featured granting P100,000 cash gift for 100-year-olds.
With the full implementation of the Expanded Centenarian Act starting this year, nine centenarians and 1,269 octogenarians and nonagenarians who are celebrating their birthdays this January, will be the first to benefit from the cash grants in the region.
The same cash benefits will be distributed to seven centenarians, and 967 octogenarians and nonagenarians who will celebrate their birthdays in February, Yap-Patron disclosed in the Gobyernong Balitaan radio program of the Philippine Information Agency Davao Occidental over Energy FM Digos.
In March, 13 centenarians and 1,279 octogenarians and nonagenarians are expected to benefit from the cash grants.
Yap-Patron said that the list of beneficiaries came from the Local Social Welfare and Development offices in the region.
However, she emphasized that the beneficiaries still have to comply with the required documents, such as application form, primary ID, photo ID, and endorsement from the local chief executive, to be submitted to the LSWDO and the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs.
The application form can be secured from the NCSC website, NCSC offices, LSWDO, OSCA, or at the barangay hall through the senior citizens association.
She said that the NCSC central office will have the final assessment and validation, and will download the budget to the regional office for payout to the beneficiaries.
Yap-Patron explained that the Expanded Centenarian Act is funded beginning 2025.
However, she clarified that those who reached the octogenarian and nonagenarian age upon the approval of RA 11982 on March 17, 2024 and up to December 2024, could still claim the cash benefits.
“They are wait-listed. They have to wait for the budget to be approved,” she said.
Yap-Patron shared a message to the senior citizens, saying “Be well and be active always. Even if we’re reaching the twilight years, let’s be happy and be well.” (CLC/PIA Davao)
