P80T cash gift for octogenarians

CEBU, Philippines — A neophyte party-list lawmaker has filed a bill that seeks to provide P80,000 cash incentive to all Filipinos on their 80th birthday.

Weeks ahead of the opening of the 18th Congress, Ako Bisaya Party List Representative Sonny Lagon yesterday filed House Bill 907.

“The intention is to make the gift more accessible to more Filipinos and enable them to enjoy it during the twilight years of their lives when medicines and other necessities are more urgent,” said Lagon adding the old Filipino adage that says, “Aanhin pa ang damo kung patay na ang kabayo.”

He proposed that the amount shall be deducted from the Centenarian Gift mandate by Republic Act No. 10868 should the beneficiary gets to avail of the same.

Aside from a Letter of Felicitation from the President, RA No. 10868, otherwise known as the Centenarians Act of 2016 mandates the grant of a Centenarian Gift in the amount of P100,000 to all Filipinos who reach the age of 100 years old whether residing in the Philippines or abroad.

While the intention of the law is very commendable, Lagon said very few Filipinos get to live long enough to enjoy these special benefits.

“Further, it should be noted that many of those who are lucky enough to qualify for the benefits no longer have the mental faculties to enjoy and appreciate the cash gift and the accolade,” Lagon said.

He cited the World Health Organization’s statistics published in 2018 that the average life expectancy of Filipinos is 69.3 years old.

In a separate bill, Lagon also filed House Bill No. 908, which seeks to increase the minimum salary grade level of public elementary and secondary schools teachers from Salary Grade 11 to Salary Grade 15.

With the cost of living constantly on the upward trend, Lagon said it is necessary that the salaries of public school teachers are likewise adjusted from time to time to enable them to provide for their families and maintain an economic standing that is commensurate to the important tasks entrusted to them by the government.

“If we are to raise the quality of public education as an important key to enhance the Filipinos’ competitiveness in the global stage, we must start by giving our public school teachers the remuneration that they deserve to encourage them to give their best in the difficult task of shaping the character and competence of our youth. Otherwise, giving them accolades is just an empty rhetoric devoid of any meaning and substance,” Lagon said. (FREEMAN)