House OKs bill giving cash gifts to centenarians

MANILA, Philippines -  A bill seeking the provision of P100,000 cash gift to Filipino centenarians has been endorsed by the House committee on population and family relations.

“Honoring and rewarding Filipino centenarians is a fitting testimonial to our giving value to life and life-long achievements,” the bill’s principal author, minority leader Edcel Lagman, said yesterday.

“Centenarians are role models for aging well and living long, three decades past the current life expectancy of the average Filipino of 71 years,” he added.

Under House Bill 834, a centenarian would also get a congratulatory letter from the President aside from the cash gift.

He would also get a cash reward from the local government unit where he is residing and will be entitled to a 50 percent discount on value added tax on goods and services.

Posthumous plaques of appreciation would likewise be given in honor of deceased centenarians to their nearest surviving relative.

The bill also seeks to declare Sept. 25 as National Respect for Centenarians Day.

Filipinos who celebrate their 100th birthday during the year would be honored in a commemorative ceremony hosted by their respective local government units.                             

Lagman, also the principal author of the controversial Reproductive Health Bill, said there were a total of 7,323 Filipino centenarians in 2007. Of these, 4,206 were females while 3,117 were males.

He said the United States has the most number of centenarians in the world with 72,000. Japan comes second with 30,000.

It is projected, however, that China would lead the world population of centenarians by 2050 with over 450,000.

Ang Kasangga party-list Rep. Teodorico Haresco, meanwhile, pushed for the immediate passage of his bill seeking better protection for the elderly against crime and violence.

House Bill 2135, also known as the Senior Citizen’s Safety Act of 2011, raises the penalties imposed on persons convicted of crimes committed against senior citizens. It also provides for the collection of data by the Department of Justice on the number and extent of crimes committed against the elderly.

Haresco noted that 5.4 million Filipinos 60 years old and above are vulnerable to domestic abuse.

“(Senior citizens are) almost twice as likely as younger victims to be abused, robbed, or assaulted in their own homes,” he said.

In his sponsorship speech, Haresco identified four types of crimes committed against senior citizens. These are: financial crimes, property crimes, violent crimes, and elderly abuse. – With Paolo Romero