Sen. Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. (Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)
MANILA, Philippines — Distribute the cash gifts to qualified senior citizens starting January 2025 or face their wrath.
Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. issued this stern warning to the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) on Wednesday.
“Huwag magkakamali ang NCSC na hindi ito agarang ipatupad. Hindi naman nila siguro idi-disappoint ang ating mga lolo at lola na inaabangan na ito since last March,” Revilla’s statement read.
(The NCSC should not make the mistake of not implementing this immediately. Surely, they wouldn’t want to disappoint our grandparents who have been eagerly waiting for this since March.)
“Sigurado naman akong ayaw nilang harapin ang galit ng ating mga nakakatanda,” added the principal author of the measure in the Senate,” it added.
(I’m sure they wouldn’t want to face the ire of our elders.)
Signed in February this year, the Expanded Centenarian Law provides a P10,000 cash gift to Filipinos aged 80, 85, 90, and 95 while those aged 100 will continue to receive P100,000.
READ: Bongbong Marcos signs expanded Centenarian Law
Nearly 200,000 senior citizens are set to benefit from the law, according to Revilla.
“We thus call on the NCSC to fulfill their obligations in ensuring that payouts are already ready and rolled out starting January 2025. They have already been given enough time and funding,” he said.
According to the senator, they already coordinated with the Department of Budget and Management to ensure that the law is funded in the 2025 national budget.
READ: Elderly covered by Centenarian Act told: Register now, get paid in 2025
“Now it’s in the NCSC hands to fully implement it and ensure that no lolo and lola will be left behind,” Revilla said.
“Wala silang dahilan para hindi ito maipatupad,” he added.
(They have no reason not to implement this.)