Happy Valentine’s Day indeed for JPE

Chief Presidential Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile has a lot to look forward to for his 100th birthday on Wednesday, Valentine’s Day.

This as the former Senate President stands to get a gift of P100,000 given by the Department of Social Welfare and Development to each centenarian. The agency said it has spent more than P1.2 billion since 2017 for the cash gift of 12,186 centenarians.

For this year, there’s funding for the P100,000 cash gift for those celebrating their 100th birthday, including Enrile. This was the assurance made by Quezon City Rep. Marvin Rillo.

“In the 2024 General Appropriations Law, the sum of P186 million had been earmarked for the tax-free cash gift of Filipino centenarians,” Rillo said in a statement on Sunday.

“We, in Congress, are fully determined to keep up the annual funding for the gift in recognition of Filipinos who have achieved healthy aging and longevity,” Rillo said.

Under the Centenarians Law of 2016, all natural-born Filipinos who reach 100 years old, whether residing in the country or overseas, are entitled to receive a P100,000 one-time cash gift from the national government, along with a letter of felicitation from the President.

In the case of Filipino citizens or dual citizens living abroad, the payment is coursed through Philippine embassies and consulates.

The cash grant is on top of all other rewards centenarians may receive from other sources, such as local government units.

Meanwhile, a bill seeking to recognize and reward Filipino octogenarians and nonagenarians is now awaiting President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s signature.

Under the bill, elderly Filipinos who reach 80 years of age would receive a one-time cash gift of P10,000. They would also receive a one-time P10,000 gift upon reaching the “milestones” of 85 years old, 90 years old, and 95 years old.

The average life expectancy in the Philippines is 71 years, or two years less than the global average of 73 years, according to a World Bank study.