Live to be 100 and get P125T

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City residents who reach the age of 100 years old can soon claim P125,000 as reward.

Two proposed legislations, one in the city and the other in Congress, seek to provide more cash gift for senior citizens who are 100 years old and older.

City Councilor Edgardo Labella proposed an ordinance seeking to increase the cash gift for senior citizens who have reached a triple-digit age to P25,000. This amends City Ordinance 10-2235, which only grants P5,000 cash assistance.

Labella said these senior citizens will only receive the “Centenary Senior Citizens Award” once.

“Considering the current purchasing power of the peso and the rarity of Senior Citizens reaching the centenary life, the sum of P5,000 as an award is decidedly small,” Labella said in his proposed amendment.

The amendment also sought to clarify confusion that only those 100 years old are qualified for the award.

Labella added phrase “100 years old and over” to make it clear that those who are over 100 years old may still apply for the award.

In Congress, there is a bill seeking to grant Filipino centenarians a cash gift of P100,000.

The bill also wants to grant 50 percent discount and exemption from value-added tax on the sale of goods and services from all establishments.

Under the bill, the awarding may be done during the celebration of the National Respect for Centenarians Day every September 25 or during the Senior Citizen’s month in October.

In Cebu City, the awarding of the Centenary Senior Citizens Award is done every October during the Senior Citizen’s month.

To date, two centenarians in the city had received the award after the passage of C.O. 2235.

Natividad Sanchez-Go, of Barangay Mabolo, was awarded in 2009 when she turned 100 years old while Florida Opta, of Barangay Lahug, received the award in 2010 when she was 109 years old.

In the Philippines, reaching 100 years old is an extraordinary feat these days when life expectancy for male is only 65 to 67 years old while for female is 70 to 72 years old.

Jeffrey Ocampo of the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs said that they currently do not have members who have reached the age of 100.

He, however, said they have 90 years old members who are only a decade away to get the centenary award.

Ocampo said the financial assistance of the city government to the senior citizens is aimed at helping them live a longer life.

The city gives an annual P5,000 financial assistance to senior citizens, expecting them to use the money on food and medicine.

Senior citizens are also prioritized in other government services like the medical assistance.

Ocampo said the OSCA is now halfway through the validation of the list of beneficiaries to finalize the payroll. Their target month for releasing this year’s assistance is June to July. Senior Citizens will then receive P2,000 each. The rest will be distributed in December.

Ocampo said Mayor Michael Rama wants a system in which senior citizens will be able to collect their P2,000 cash assistance in the month of their birthday. — /LPM (FREEMAN)