Senior Citizens Urge Congress to Pass Centenarian Bill

Bacacay, Albay (PNA) — Hundreds of centenarians across the country are hoping that a bill, which seeks to grant financial benefits to all Filipinos who reach the age of 100 years, will be passed in both houses of Congress.

Zerafia Come, a resident of geothermal-rich Tiwi town in Albay and who has just celebrated her 100 birthday on Oct. 10, said she is eagerly waiting for the Centenarian Bill to be passed in Congress so this benefit would add up to the meager pension she is receiving from the government.

Come has been in constant contact with Albay Rep. Edcel “Greco” Lagman Jr., the main author of the bill in the House of Congress.

Centenarian constituents who frequently visit Lagman for updates on the bill are Perfecto C. Brusola of Bangkilingan, Tabaco City, 103 years old, and Josefa B. Barbarin of Bacacay, Albay, 102.

A former constituent from the 4th District in Quezon City, Ceriaca M. Lopez of Krus na Ligas who turned 100 years old this year, is also among the eagerly anticipating beneficiaries.

“These people inspire me to really urge our honorable senators to give the green light to the centenarian bill,” Lagman claimed.

In an interview Tuesday, he said his bill was approved on third and final readings on June 10 this year and has been forwarded to the Senate for concurrence.

Lagman said Senator Ralph Recto authored the Senate version of the bill.

Recto likewise assured him that the Senate counterpart would be approved and vowed to expedite its enactment.

The centenarian bill, when passed in both houses of Congress, would grant Filipinos who reach 100 years of age a cash gift of Php100,000 from the national government and a letter of felicitation from the President of the Philippines congratulating them for their longevity.

Lagman said there was overwhelming support from his colleagues in the House when the bill was passed.

Based on studies, many seniors reach the century mark every year in all 234 legislative districts across the country.

“The general sentiment among the centenarians and would-be centenarians is a happy sense of self-worth that they will soon be honored by the President no less,” the Albay lawmaker said.

He claimed that what is really significant about the bill is the incentive that a centenarian would receive which, according to him, is a “symbolic and momentous” gesture.

As the principal author of the bill, Lagman said, his office in the House as well as his district offices frequently receive calls from his constituents and centenarians’ relatives who are asking how to go about enlisting as a beneficiary and that they thought the bill is already “approved”.

Some have even called his offices to express regret that their centenarians have already died expecting the recognition and incentive.

“Nov. 1 and 2 are important dates for Filipinos as we observe All Souls’ Day (Undas) to remember our dearly departed. Every year we are also reminded of our own mortality and that we can only hope that we live longer to spend more time with our loved ones. I can only imagine the sense of pride and fulfillment of our seniors who have already reached 100 years old. They are a living testimony of aging well that we should strive to emulate,” said Lagman.

“I really hope that when session resumes, the centenarian bill would already be calendared in the Senate for approval. I have confidence in Sen. Recto that he is also rallying behind the Filipino centenarians who are racing against time to receive the recognition and incentive they truly deserve,” he added. (PNA) FPV/FGS/MSA/CBD