Dear PAO,

Is there a law granting a cash incentive to Filipinos who reach 80? As far as I know, one needs to be 100 years old to receive a generous cash incentive from the government, but my nephew told me that he came across a news clip about such a benefit. If there is, can you tell me more about it? It may be too soon for me even to be interested in this, as I am only 78 years old right now, but I cannot help but feel happy that there is a development in our laws that caters specifically to the elderly. Please enlighten me.

Danilo

Dear Danilo,

On Feb. 26, 2024, a new law was approved and signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., which provides a cash incentive to Filipino centenarians and extends cash gifts to Filipino octogenarians and nonagenarians. This law is Republic Act 11982, which amended RA 10868, otherwise known as the “Centenarians Act of 2016.” Section 1 of RA 11982 expressly provides:

“Section 1. Section 2 of Republic Act No. 10868, otherwise known as the ‘Centenarians Act of 2016’, is hereby amended to read as follows:

“‘Section 2. Letter of Felicitation and Cash Gift. – All Filipinos, whether residing in the Philippines or abroad, upon reaching the age of one hundred (100) years old, shall receive a cash gift of One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00) and a letter of felicitation from the President of the Philippines congratulating the celebrant for his or her longevity.

“‘All Filipinos, whether residing in the Philippines or abroad, upon reaching the ages of eighty (80), eighty-five (85), ninety (90), and ninety-five (95), shall each receive a cash gift of Ten thousand pesos (P10,000.00).

“‘The grantees under this section shall be eligible to receive the cash gift within one (1) year from reaching the ages of eighty (80), eighty-five (85), ninety (90), ninety-five (95) and one hundred (100).'”

From the foregoing provision, it is clear that a cash incentive, amounting to P100,000, and a letter of felicitation from the president of the Philippines is still granted to Filipinos who reach the milestone age of 100 years old. In addition, Filipinos who reach the milestone ages of 85, 90 and 95 years old will receive a cash gift amounting to P10,000. These benefits are available to qualified Filipino citizens, regardless of whether they reside in the Philippines or abroad.

RA 11982 represents a significant legal development, recognizing the valuable role of senior citizens in our society and providing financial assistance, especially to those in the aforementioned milestone ages who may no longer have stable sources of income or even financial support.

We would like to emphasize that our senior citizens are strongly encouraged to register with the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC), the focal agency for the management of data pertaining to elderlies, in consonance with Section 2-A of RA 11982, viz.:

“Section 2-A. Elderly Data Management System. – To effectively implement the provisions of this Act, an elderly data management system recording relevant information on the persons covered by this Act shall be maintained by the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) in accordance with Republic Act No. 11350 and its implementing rules and regulations. The NCSC shall coordinate with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and local government units (LGUs) in the online registration of the beneficiaries of this Act.”

Corollary, they may visit the website of the NCSC at https://www.ncsc.gov.ph/ or they may personally visit the Office of Senior Citizen Affairs (OSCA) in their respective local government units for further information and assistance on the matter.

We hope that we were able to answer your queries. This advice is based solely on the facts you have narrated and our appreciation of the same. Our opinion may vary when other facts are changed or elaborated.

Editor’s note: Dear PAO is a daily column of the Public Attorney’s Office. Questions for Chief Acosta may be sent to [email protected]