Cash gift for centenarians to be released at home

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will implement a new system to enable centenarians to receive their P100,000 cash gift from the Philippine government at home.

The DSWD said it would adopt this mode of delivering the cash incentives in light of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and the health and physical limitations of the beneficiaries.

Enacted in 2016, Republic Act 10868 provides that all Filipinos who have reached 100 years old would be given a cash gift of P100,000 and a letter of felicitation from the President.

From 2016 to 2019, DSWD said it has released P560,900,000 for the cash gift of 5,609 centenarians nationwide.

A total of 952 centenarians are expected to benefit from the law this year, which includes 289 centenarians who have already received their cash gift and letters as of June 15.

To avail of the benefits under the law, the centenarians or their relatives must submit primary documents, such as birth certificates and Philippine passports, to their local social welfare office and the Office for Senior Citizens Affairs.

Relatives of those who were alive when the law took effect on July 15, 2016 but have already died before the actual implementation of the program may also submit documents to claim the incentive.

The documents submitted to the local government units shall be endorsed to the respective DSWD field offices for further validation, processing and releasing of the cash gift.

The DSWD said it has also allocated funds for overseas centenarians to be released once the joint memorandum circular between relevant agencies is signed this year.