The National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) has released in in Western Visayas P116.37 million in cash gifts to 14,555 octogenarians, nonagenarians and centenarians under Republic Act 11982 or the Expanded Centenarians Act as of August 26.
The office completed the payout, which also covered grantees from Negros Occidental, in August.
‘For this year, we still paid out our grantees for 2024 and 2025. It’s a gift, so it’s intended for all who reached the milestone ages 80, 85, 90, 95, and 100 years old,’ Ann Rapunzel Ganzon, NCSC director for Western Visayas, said in an interview on Thursday.
Data showed that the highest number of grantees reached their milestone age last year, with a total of 12,589-6,116 were 80 years old, 4,080 were 85 years old, 1,574 were 90, 549 were 95, and 90 were centenarians.
Meanwhile, 1,891 were grantees in 2024, consisting of 1,002 who are 80 years old, 610 aged 85, 226 aged 90, 43 aged 95, and 10 centenarians.
Meanwhile, 75 centenarians who reached their milestone age this year have already received their P100,000 cash gift.
Those who reached the other milestone ages from January to June this year are expected to receive their cash gift in October.
Ganzon said Western Visayas is among the regions in the country with the most centenarians.
‘I take pride because I get to meet them, have stories documented; beautiful stories. We cry, we laugh, they have different secrets, but the most common is their strong faith and prayers,’ she said.
In addition to faith, their secrets to longer life include doing good deeds and eating vegetables and fish, although a few ate pork and beef.
RA 11982 mandates the cash gift of P100,000 for centenarians and a letter of felicitation from the President of the Philippines congratulating the celebrant for his or her longevity, and P10,000 for those reaching the milestone ages.
Last year, the office served 29,791 grantees, releasing more than P315 million in cash gifts to recipients.