ANGELES CITY — Mayor Carmelo ‘Pogi’ Lazatin Jr., together with City Social Welfare and Development Officer Edna Duaso, awarded Certificates of Recognition and P100,000 cash gift each to four centenarians here.
Paulina Sigua of Barangay Capaya, Maria Luz Quiambao of Barangay Pulungbulu, Alfredo Jimenea of Barangay Ninoy Aquino, and Bibiana Cortesano of Barangay Cuayan each received the cash benefit from the national government by virtue of Republic Act 10868.
RA 10868 also known as the Centenarians Act of 2016, grants all Filipinos who reach the age of 100, whether residing in the country or abroad, a cash award of Php100,000 as a centenarian gift. Lazatin personally handed over the P100,000 check to the centenarians via house-to-house visit.
Mayor Lazatin was joined by Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Centenarian Focal Person Leizel Llarves, Angeles City Focal Person for Centenarian Lady Lee Pamintuan, and CSWDO Focal Person for Senior Citizens Program Cherry Garung during the awarding of cash gifts.
Lazatin underscored the important role of each family member in ensuring the welfare of the elderly.
“Malaking bagay para sa centenarians natin na nandiyan ang kanilang pamilya sa kanilang pagtanda. Ang suporta, pagmamahal at pagaaruga na binibigay nila ay hindi matatawaran,” Lazatin said.
One of the cornerstones of the Lazatin administration is ensuring the welfare of the elderly.
Since he took office in 2019, all senior citizens here each received P1,000 cash gift, and vitamin supplements yearly from the city government.
Mayor Lazatin also established the first city-run home-for-the-aged facility, Bale Pusu, which can house 8 to 12 homeless female senior citizens.
Bale Pusu is a brainchild of Mayor Lazatin as he aims to prioritize the safety and welfare of elderly Angeleños and individuals living in Angeles, ensuring that no one will stay out in the cold streets of the city.
Based on DSWD Memorandum Circular No. 4, series of 2017, centenarians are identified by existing databases: local office of senior citizens affairs, social pension, Community Based Monitoring System (CBMS), public and private residential care facilities client inventories and data from the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO).
Relatives of the applicants must submit primary documents such as birth certificates and Philippine passports, that are needed to be presented by centenarians during the validation process to their localities.
