Senior citizens award in Cebu City pushed

CEBU, Philippines —  Cebu City Councilor Raymond Alvin Garcia has proposed a code conferring a “Centenary Senior Citizens Award” to qualified senior citizens in the city.

The proposed measure entitled “Octogenarian, Nonagenarian, and Centenarian Ordinance of 2020” was referred to the Committee on Laws, Ordinances, and Styling for review.

“The first ordinance of the City of Cebu which conferred the Centenary Award was City Ordinance No. 2235, authored by Councilor Edgardo Labella, and approved on April 28, 2010. City Ordinance No. 2235 was amended by City Ordinance No. 2337 authored by Councilor Rodrigo Abellanosa on September 5, 2012, and further amended by City Ordinance No. 2631 authored by Councilors Lea Japson, Raymond Alvin Garcia, Eugenio Gabuya, Jr., and Phillip Zafra on August 18, 2021,” read the proposed measure.

“With three different ordinances, there is a need to put all the provisions on the Centenarian Award into one legislative measure,” it added.

The measure covers all qualified city residents who are 80 to 100 years old and still living at the time of effectiveness of the ordinance.

Section 4 provides that a Plaque of Recognition and a cash incentive of P5,000 shall be awarded to qualified Octogenarian residents who have reached 80 to 89 years old.

A Plaque of Recognition and a cash incentive of P15,000 shall be awarded to qualified Nonagenarian residents who have reached 90 to 99 years old.

In any case that Nonagenarian residents fail to avail his/her benefits during his/her being an Octogenarian, he/she shall be allowed to avail the said cash incentive together with the Nonagenarian incentive at the same time.

A Plaque of Recognition and a cash incentive of P80,000 shall be awarded to qualified Centenarian residents who have reached 100 years old and above.

This cash incentive shall be in addition to the Centenarian Gift provided under Republic Act No. 10868, otherwise known as “Centenarians Act of 2016”.

The balance of the Centenarian Incentive by the city government in the amount of 80,000, if partially availed of by the nominee during his/her being an Octogenarian and/or Nonagenarian of the whole amount of P100,000 as the first-time awardee as Centenarian, as the case may be, shall be given to the qualified Centenarian as Centenarian Cash Incentive and a Plaque of Recognition upon reaching the age of 100 years old and up.

The Office of Senior Citizens Affair (OSCA) and Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS) will jointly enforce the measure.

The funds for the implementation of the ordinance shall be included in the annual budget of DSWS. — FPL (FREEMAN)