JUNE 10, 2015

NR # 3859B

House okays P100k cash gift to Filipino centenarians

A measure granting P100,000 Centenarians Gift to Filipino centenarians here and
abroad was approved on 3rd Reading, Tuesday by the House of Representatives.
House Bill 5780, to be known as the Centenarians Act, also declares every 25 th
Day of September as the National Day of Respect for Centenarians as part of the annual
Family Week celebration from September 19 to 28.
The Committee on Population and Family Relations, Committee on Ways and
Means and Committee on Appropriations earlier endorsed the measure for plenary passage
in substitution of House Bills 35, 100 and 3134 authored, respectively, by Reps. Marcelino
R. Teodoro (1st District, Marikina City), Edcel B. Lagman (1 st District, Albay) and Rogelio
J. Espina (Lone District, Biliran).
Teodoro said the measure hopes to honor and provide monetary incentives to all
Filipino centenarians for having led long and exemplary lives.
As our nations role model for living long, healthy and disciplined lives,
centenarians should indeed be honored and respected accordingly by the younger
generations, through the governments appropriate recognition and allocation of
substantial pecuniary incentives, Teodoro said.
The bill provides that, upon reaching the age of 100, every Filipino residing in the
Philippines or abroad shall be honored with a letter of felicitation from the President of the
Philippines congratulating the celebrator and a Centenarians Gift in the amount of
P100,000.
Every September 25, during the observance of the National Day of Respect for
Centenarians, all Filipinos who have turned centenarian in the current fiscal year shall be
awarded a plaque of recognition and cash incentive, which amount shall be determined
and provided by their respective city or municipality of residence.
The bill states that all living centenarians who have reached 100 years prior to the
effectivity of the Act shall be honored during the first celebration of the National Day of
Respect for Centenarians. Each of them shall be honored with the letter of felicitation
from the President and P100,000-Centenarian gift. They shall also be awarded plaques of
recognition and cash incentives.
In the same event, a posthumous plaque of recognition in honor of each deceased
centenarians shall be presented to their nearest surviving relative or representative. The
names of the deceased centenarians shall be sourced from the Register of Deaths in the

Local Civil Registrars Office (LCRO) of every city and municipality.

The bill mandates the National Coordinating and Monitoring Board, created under
Republic Act No. 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010, to ensure the release
of the Centenarians Gift within 30 days of the centenarians birthday after establishing the
awardees date of birth.
The funds required during the initial year of implementation of the Act shall be
sourced from the unexpended current years appropriations of the Department of Social
Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the General Appropriations Act and the respective
Local Government Units (LGUs).
Subsequently, the amount necessary to implement the provisions of the Act shall be
included in the regular appropriations of the DSWD in annual GAA. (30) mrs