OVER 900 senior citizens in Davao City will receive ₱10,000 each under the Expanded Centenarians Act (ECA) as part of major cash releases lined up for elderly Dabawenyos this October.
Clarifying the implementation of the national policy, Julius R. Duterte, regional focal person for the Expanded Centenarian Program of the National Commission of Senior Citizens in Davao Region (NCSC-Davao), emphasized that the ₱10,000 cash gift for seniors reaching milestone ages of 80, 85, 90, and 95 is a national program of the NCSC, and not of the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO).
“Program ni sya sa National Commission of Senior Citizens - Region 11... ug dili ni program sa Davao City,” Duterte said.
Duterte issued the clarification to avoid public confusion and prevent senior citizens from flocking to local CSWDO offices, which do not handle the national ECA registry or disbursements.
During the iSpeak media forum at Davao City Hall, Office for Senior Citizens Affairs (Osca) Head Lorenzo Borja announced that a one-day simultaneous local payout is scheduled for October 8 for 962 qualified beneficiaries who have reached 80 years old and above under the program's roster.
To avoid long queues and ensure comfort for elderly recipients, distribution will be decentralized across three district venues starting at 8 a.m. District 1 beneficiaries will claim their payouts at People's Park, covering over 300 seniors. District 2 recipients will gather at the Barangay Buhangin Gym for over 200 qualified beneficiaries, while District 3 seniors will receive their benefits at the Toril Proper Gym.
"Atong paspasan ang pag-release kay para dili sila magpula sa dugay nga linya. Anyway, naa'y mga lingkoranan nga ma-provide sa atong City Government," Borja assured. (We will speed up the release so they don't have to wait in long queues. Anyway, chairs will be provided by our City Government.)
Qualified seniors whose approvals from Manila missed the third-quarter deadline will be included in the fourth-quarter rollout. Borja advised beneficiaries to verify if their names are on the official approved list posted at the Osca main office before traveling to distribution sites.
Local annual subsidy rollout
Parallel to national cash releases, Davao City is preparing to disburse its annual local financial assistance, ranging from ₱1,000 to ₱1,500 per registered senior citizen.
Borja confirmed that Osca has transmitted an official roster of 202,188 eligible beneficiaries to the City Executive Director's Office, Accounting, Social Welfare and Development, and Treasurer’s offices. Payroll processing is underway, with releases scheduled to begin within the first week of October.
Borja emphasized that payouts will be released immediately by the Treasurer's Office once payrolls are finalized, though the process takes time due to the sheer volume spanning 182 barangays. Out of an estimated 207,000 senior citizens city-wide, those excluded from the initial payroll encountered delays in document submissions or ID updates, but will be integrated into subsequent payroll cycles.
DCID registration
Touchpoints for digital integration are also underway, with Osca having issued over 1,000 digital Davao City IDs (DCID) to senior citizens so far. Early issuance prioritizes city government employees and barangay sub-federation leaders who serve as community representatives.
Borja asked the public to be patient, explaining that city-wide distribution is temporarily constrained by hardware capacity at the main office.
"Isa lang ang [computer unit] nga naa sa atong office. Once na mahatagan ta'g another unit or two units, barangay-to-barangay na pod hatag," he said, stating that mobile registration teams will deploy directly to barangays once additional units arrive to prevent senior citizens from traveling to the city center.
Elderly Filipino Week launch
These developments coincide with the kick-off of Elderly Filipino Week running from October 1 to 7. Celebrations opened with a "Walk for Life," a Zumba session, and an inter-agency service caravan at SM City Davao featuring DSWD, Dole, PSA, CHO, and Osca.
Mobile health services — including medical missions, cataract surgery screenings, and eye care caravans — will continue visiting all 182 barangays throughout the week. Germa R. Siazon
