P100,000 cash gift for 4 Aeta centenarians to be released
MANILA, Philippines — The National Commission for Senior Citizens has ordered the immediate processing and release of the P100,000 cash gift for four Aeta centenarians who did not receive the benefit in 2024, after the centenarian program was transferred from the Department of Social Welfare and Development to the commission in 2025.
Even before the NCSC central office formally received the applications, the commission said it took urgent steps to address the backlog inherited from the previous implementing agency and ensure that remaining beneficiaries are served under Republic Act No. 11982, or the Expanded Centenarians Act.
NCSC Chairperson Merceditas Gutierrez said the commission continued identifying and verifying qualified beneficiaries despite the lack of allocated funds for the program in 2024.
“Despite funding limitations during that year, we immediately coordinated with the Department of Budget and Management to ensure the uninterrupted processing of qualified senior citizens,” Gutierrez said.
The commission said it released more than P2.8 billion in centenarian cash gifts in 2025, including payments for delayed 2024 beneficiaries, and recorded over 96 percent budget utilization.
The NCSC said it is coordinating with the local government of Capas, Tarlac, to complete documentation for the immediate release of benefits to the Aeta centenarians.
It also announced a pilot bank transfer system in the first quarter of the year to make distribution faster, more transparent, secure and convenient for senior citizen beneficiaries.
“Applicants who opted for bank deposit will begin receiving their cash gifts directly through their ATM accounts,” Gutierrez said, adding that the system helps ensure the benefit reaches the intended centenarian beneficiary.
