Congress has nearly doubled the government’s appropriations for cash gifts to Filipino centenarians, Makati City Rep. Luis Campos Jr. disclosed on Monday.
According to Campos, the House of Representatives earmarked P254 million in the 2023 General Appropriations Act to bankroll the one-time cash gift of Filipinos who reached the age of 100 years old.
The amount is 43 percent higher than the P178 million appropriation for the same purpose under the 2022 national budget.
“We in Congress are absolutely determined to sustain the annual funding required for the P100,000 cash gift of every Filipino who turns 100 years old,” said Campos, the House appropriations committee vice chairman.
“In fact, since 2017, we’ve set aside an aggregate of over P1 billion, including the sum allocated for this year, to pay for the cash grant of more than 10,000 Filipino centenarians,” Campos said.
Under the Centenarians Law of 2016, or Republic Act No. 10868, every Filipino citizen who reaches 100 years old, whether residing in the Philippines or abroad, is entitled to receive the P100,000 tax-free gift plus a congratulatory letter from the President.
The funds are to be distributed through Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
The largesse is on top of all other rewards that centenarians may receive from their respective local governments or from other sources.
The Makati City government, for instance, also hands out a one-time cash gift of P100,000 to residents of the city who breaks the 100-year-old barrier. Hence, the recipient gets a total of P200,000 bonanza
Since 2016, Makati has rewarded 79 resident centenarians with P100,000 each.