P200-T cash for every Bacolod centenarian

BACOLOD City – Incentives from the national and city governments will make centenarians in this capital city P200,000 richer.

Nine centenarians received P100,000 each on Wednesday, Councilor Em Ang announced in a Facebook post.

The giving of this cash award, sourced from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), was provided for under Republic Act 10868, or the Centenarians Act of 2016.

Aside f rom cash, t he centenarians also received a letter of felicitation signed by President Rodrigo Duterte, Ang said.

Centenarians in this city were also entitled to another P100,000 each under the Centenarian Awardee  Cash I ncentive Ordinance.

This will be the first time that the city government is giving such incentive, according to the Public Information Office.

Mayor Evelio Leonardia led Wednesday’s distribution of the Centenarians Act cash award at the Bacolod City Government Center.

He was with Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, Councilors Ang, Caesar Distrito and Bartolome Orola, and Rose Sanagustin of the DSWD Region 6.

Under the Centenarians Act, all Filipinos who live up to 100 years will receive a letter of felicitation from the president and a centenarian gift of P100,000 whether they are in the Philippines or not.

Centenarians may also receive a plaque of recognition and a cash incentive from their respective city or municipal governments, to be decided by their respective local government units, the law said.

Surviving and deceased centenarians were not left out in the law.

They shall be honored on the celebration of the first National Respect for Centenarians Day, or 120 days after the signing of the implementing rules and regulations, whichever comes first.

They will receive the same centenarian gift along with a plaque of recognition.

The nearest surviving relative of a deceased centenarian, on the other hand, will receive a posthumous plaque of recognition in honor of their centenarian relative.

Funding for the law’s initial year will come from the DSWD, with subsequent f unding to be included in the General Appropriations Act./

ARCHIE REY ALIPALO/PN VEGGIES FROM CANLAON. Farmers ride on a truck loaded with fresh vegetables from Canlaon City, Negros Oriental. They are on their way to Bacolod City, the capital of the adjacent Negros Occidental province — their biggest market, they say.