More than 12,000 centenarians nationwide have been recognized and provided with incentives by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Assistant Secretary Romel Lopez made the announcement Tuesday, saying from 2017 up to September this year, the DSWD honored 12,186 Filipinos, who reached 100 years of age and above, through its implementation of the Centenarian Program, as mandated by Republic Act 10868 or the Centenarians Act of 2016.
“This achievement serves as a testament to the nation’s unwavering commitment to honoring its elderly citizens,” said Lopez, who is also the DSWD spokesm an.
Under the program, centenarians whether residing in the country or abroad are provided with P100,000 cash incentives and a letter of felicitation signed by the President of the Philippines congratulating them for their longevity.
Aside from the cash gift, the DSWD provides a posthumous plaque of recognition for deceased centenarians, which may be received by their nearest surviving relatives.
“The Centenarian Program represents our respect for our elderly an acknowledges the invaluable contributions they have made to society over the decades,” Lopez added.
Lopez reiterated that to avail of the benefits under the law, relatives of the centenarians must submit primary documents such as the birth certificate and Philippine passport to the City or Municipal Social Welfare Office and/or to the Office for Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) in their localities.
If the two documents are not available, any one of the primary Identification Cards issued by OSCA, the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), and Social Security System (SSS); driverÂ’s license; Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) license; and Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Voter’s ID, is also accepted.
The DSWD vowed to closely coordinate with the local government units (LGUs) and the National Commission on Senior Citizens (NCSC) to improve the planning and budgeting for more effective implementation of the law, in pursuit of honoring the contributions of the centenarians in nation-building.