DSWD’s Centenarian Cash Gifts: Motivation to Live Longer

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) – Mimaropa is honoring this year’s batch of centenarians from the region with cash gifts, plaques of recognition and cash incentives from the recipients’ local government units.

Under the Republic Act No. 10868 (An Act Honoring and Granting Additional Benefits to Filipino Centenarians and for other purposes or Centenarians Act of 2016), Filipinos who live to 100 years whether living in the Philippines or abroad will receive cash gifts worth P100,000 each.

“Of this year’s target centenarians, three were already paid amounting to P300,000. There are 34 centenarians subject for validation in terms of age, while some of them are now complying with all the requirements,” said senior citizen sector focal Lordessa Fe Gilera.

DSWD has allotted P3.9 million for this year’s implementation of the Centenarians Act.

Gilera said a total of P2.3 million cash gifts released to seven centenarians in Oriental Mindoro; four in Occidental Mindoro; one in Marinduque; five in Romblon; and six in Palawan in 2018.

Based on the DSWD Memorandum Circular No. 4 Series of 2017, centenarians are identified by existing databases: local Office of Senior Citizens Affairs, Social Pension, Community Based Monitoring System (CBMS), public and private residential care facilities client inventories and data from the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO).

Birth certificates and Philippine passports are needed to be presented by centenarians (assisted by their relatives) during validation process.

If both documents are unavailable, any one of the primary government issued Identification Cards (IDs) may be shown such as GSIS and SSS IDs, driver’s licenses, Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) licenses, and Comelec Voter’s IDs.

If the primary IDs are absent, two of the following secondary documents may be presented: marriage certificates either from the Philippine Statistics Authority or the local Civil Registrar’s office; Birth certificates of the children of the centenarian issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority or the local Civil Registrar’s office; affidavits from two disinterested persons, aged 80 years who have personal knowledge of the centenarian’s age and birthdate.

School and employment records showing the age of the centenarian, baptismal or confirmation records issued by churches and religious organizations, medical or dental examinations by government or private doctors and dentists, and other related certifications from the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, AMWSlai, AFPSlai, Veteran groups and similar organizations may also be accepted as secondary documents.

Secondary documents will be evaluated. (LP/DSWD-Mimaropa)