A party-list lawmaker is batting for the approval of a proposal seeking to grant an P80,000 cash incentive to all Filipinos on their 80th birthday.
Neophyte lawmaker Ako Bisaya party-list Rep. Sonny Lagon filed House Bill No. 907.
“Our intention in filing HB No. 907 is to make the cash gift more accessible to more Filipinos and enable them to enjoy it during the twilight years of their lives where medicines and other necessities are more urgent,” he said.
Under Republic Act No. 10868 or the Centenarian Act of 2016, any Filipino reaching the age of 100 years old whether residing in the Philippines or abroad is entitled to a cash reward of P100,000.
Lagon, a registered electronics and communications engineer, said a Filipino who turns 80 must also enjoy the same benefit.
While lauding the passage of RA No. 10868, he lamented that “very few Filipinos get to live long enough to enjoy such special benefits.”
Citing a World Health Organization study in 2018, the average life expectancy of a Filipinos is 69.3 years old.
“It should also be noted that many of those who are lucky enough to qualify for RA No. 10868 no longer have the mental faculties to appreciate and enjoy the cash gift,” he added.