6 rHUR.
sDAy FEBRUAR' 7, 2o1e
Bill widens law on cash
aid to senior citizens
TfHERE have long been comments
I about the F100,000 given to Fili-
pinos upon reaching their 100th birth
anriiversary.
In the beginning, only a few local
governments gave the benefit to their
centenarians, prompting comments
that it should apply to all centenarians
In 2016, Congress approved Repub-
lic Act 10868r the Centenarians 'Act,
granting the F100,000 cash incen-
tive and other additional benefits ani
privileges to all Filipinos reaching 100
years of age. President Beniqno S.
Aquino III signed if into law in June,
2016, just a week before his six-year
presidential term ended.
Subsequent comments focused on
the observation that most centenar-
ians are no longer able to enjoy the
benefits of the F100,000 cash qrant.
Those reaching the age of 90 - or
even 80 in the view of some - should
be given the F100,000 or a part of it.
The House Special Committee on
Senior Citizens has now approved
a bill consolidating bitts filed by five
con9ressmen providing that senior
citizens who reach the age of 85 re-
ceive F25,000 cash; those who reach
90 will receive another p25,000; those
who reach 95 will get an additional
P50,000. And those who reach 100
will receive F100,000 with a letter of
felicitation from the president of the
Philippines.
Senior Citizens partylist Rep. Mila-
gros Aquino Magsaysay presided over
the House Special Committee on Se-
nior Citizens which approved the bill.
The Commission on Filipinos Overseas
thanked the Special Committee for
including in the bill all Filipino senior
citizens who now reside.outside the
cou ntry.'
The Senate, in the meantime has
approved a bill creating the National
Commission of Senior Citizens, with the
commissioners holding office in Vbrious
regions of the country. The commission
is mandated to ensure the full imple-
mentation of laws, policies, and pro-
grams for the elderly in the country.
The many congressmen who filed
separate bills that were consolidated
into the final measure, the senators
who approved the bill creating the new
Commission of Senior Citizens, and all
who value the contributions made by
the country's senior citizens hope th6
measures will be approved and enacted
into law before the current 17th Con-
gress adjourns to give way to the 18th
Congress after the May elections.
Fagc g