Aging? It’s more fun in Manila

Live long and prosper, that is if you’re a centenarian living in the City of Manila.

A proposed ordinance which was recently passed on first reading seeks to give recognition and grant additional benefits to the city’s residents who reach the ripe old age of 100.

These incentives range from a birthday cash gift of P10,000, a monthly stipend of P1,000 and a plaque of recognition.

“We should honor and pay homage to our city’s elderly, especially those who have reached the century mark. [They are] living witnesses to its rich history,” the measure’s author, Councilor DJ Bagatsing, said.

The Manila Centenarians Incentive ordinance is also “in consonance with the recent commemoration of Elderly Filipino Week [which is] our way of giving back to the pillars of society,” he added.

Under the measure, the centenarians will also receive a congratulatory letter plus enjoy free admission to theaters, museums, parks, learning centers and other cultural and recreational sites in Manila.

Bagatsing said there were “about less than a hundred centenarians in the City of Manila.”

To qualify for the benefits, they should register at the city’s Office of Senior Citizens’ Affairs and present their birth certificate, voter’s ID, and barangay certificate of residency.

Under the Senior Citizens Act of 2003, those who are aged 60 and above are entitled to several benefits, including a 20-percent discount in all establishments such as hotels and similar lodging establishments, restaurants and recreation centers, as well as on medicines in all drugstores, and on funeral and burial services.