Senior citizens in San Marcelino town, Zambales province, wait to receive their P3,000 social pension from the government on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021. (File photo from the San Marcelino Public Information Office)
Updated on February 26, 2024, at 10:40 a.m.
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed into law on Monday a bill granting P10,000 to Filipinos who reach the age of 80, 85, 90, and 95.
Marcos signed the measure amending the Centenarian Law (Republic Act No. 11983) in Malacañan Palace, with lawmakers from the House of Representatives and the Senate in attendance.
“The expansion of the coverage of the Centenarians Act is a homage to the Filipino trait of compassion, and in our culture, none are showered with more kind and loving care than our elderly,” said Marcos in his speech.
“We do, after all, stand on the shoulders of these giants. But they deserve more than cash in an envelope. What they should get is a support infrastructure that every society owes to its greying population,” he added.
The president said that the passage of the law could be attributed to the aging politicians in government.
“We might be suspected of having passed this bill for ourselves in preparation for our dotage,” Marcos said.
The Centenarian Law had only previously covered Filipinos who turned 100 years old. Centenarians receive P100,000 upon turning 100.
READ: Senate okays P10,000 cash gifts for octogenarians
Congress approved the expanded coverage of cash gifts to seniors in December 2023.
“Both panels agreed to set at P10,000 the cash gift to be given to Filipino seniors within one year from when they turn 80, 85, 90, and 95. And within one year from when the senior reaches age 100, the senior would receive a P100,000 cash gift,” Senior Citizen Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes said in 2023.