AN OFFICIAL from the Office of the Senior Citizen Affairs (Osca) said that for senior citizens in Davao City to qualify for the expanded Centenarians Act they should register first in their office.
“Considering na nga na register na sila ang atoang himuon nalang didto kay i-review na lang, i-assess na lang nato ang mga pangalan. That’s why naa naman sa amoang opisina ang listahan (Considering that they already registered what we will do is to review it and we will assess the names. That’s why our office has the list),” Luis Moran, head of Osca, said during the ISpeak media forum on Thursday, February 29, 2024, at the DCIPC building, Palma Gil St., this city.
The office used to require senior citizens several documents to validate their information such as birth certificates and valid IDs. However, Moran emphasized that for now, they will only require a barangay certification of the elderly’s birth and place of origin.
Moran also explained that there is no longer a need for senior citizens to personally apply to their office as they may authorize their family members to apply on their behalf.
Based on the list of Osca, there are 426 senior citizens on the list aged 80 years old, while 225 are aged 85; 100 are aged 90, and 37 are aged 95. In the city proper, Poblacion A and B have the highest count of people aged 80 to 100 years old.
However, there will be changes because there will be ongoing registration with the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) together with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).
On February 26, 2024, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the Republic Act 11982 otherwise known as “An Act Granting Benefits to Filipino Octogenarians and Nonagenarians”, providing P10,000 worth of cash incentives to citizens who reach 80, 85, 90, and 95 years old.
RA 11982 is an amendment of RA 10868 or the “Centenarians Act of 2016” which grants a P100,00 cash grant to those who reach 100.
Although the law has already been signed, it is still awaiting the implementing rules and regulations which are still being made. Erica Villacastin, DNSC Intern with reports from RGP