The National Commission on Senior Citizens (NCSC) has urged octogenarian senior citizens to start processing applications for their one-time P10,000 cash gifts, particularly those 80, 85, 90, and 95 years old, or milestone ages, who were covered by Republic Act (RA) No. 11982 or the Expanded Centenarian Act.

The encouragement comes as some senior citizens in the outskirts of Guinayangan, Quezon, who were covered by the law, wondered why the planned roll-out of the budget for the said law would only benefit those octogenarians with birthdays from 1 January to 31 December 2025.

In reply, NCSC officer-in-charge, Commissioner Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, disclosed that the Department of Budget and Management is now in the process of allocating the budget for those octogenarians who celebrated their 80th birthday from 17 March to 31 December 2024.

“It is because the budget that the DBM allocated to us under the General Appropriations Act is only good for 1 January 2025 up to 31 December 2025 milestone agers. This means that if senior citizens reach 80, 85, 90, and 95 from 17 March 2024 to 31 December 2024, they are qualified. However, because the budget has not yet been given to us by the DBM, those qualified seniors will be waitlisted. Probably, 2024 applicants may receive their cash gifts by 2026,” said Loreche during her interview with the DAILY TRIBUNE’s digital show Usapang OFW.

“The only budget we received from the GAA is for 2025 claimants only. But we want to assure you that those who reached 80, 85, 90, and 95 after it became a law, effective 17 March 2024 to 31 December 2024, will receive their cash gifts. The DBM is asking us for the final list, so these senior citizens should now start filing applications,” Loreche maintained.

She further encouraged octogenarians under the bracket of 1 January to 31 December 2025 to begin filing their applications so they can receive their cash gifts this year.

The DBM, when sought for comment on why there seems a delay on the budget for those who qualified since last year, Undersecretary Goddes Hope Libiran clarified that the effectivity of the law, which provides that the grantees reaching milestone age shall be eligible to receive the cash gift within one year from its effectivity.

“Now that it was clarified that it will have to be retroactively implemented, we are currently in the process of confirming the funding requirements based on the list initially provided by the NCSC, and if in order, recommend for the same to be charged against the FY 2024 CF,” she told the DAILY TRIBUNE.

If a qualified octogenarian dies, Loreche said their nearest survivor kin can still apply and receive the cash gifts, but with an additional requirement that should be produced and submitted by the claimant.

For overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) living outside the country, they may apply to the Philippine Consulate Embassy; or they can go back to the country and apply at the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Migrant Workers, or the Commission on Filipino Overseas.

“Dual citizens who did not renounce their Filipino citizenship are also entitled to enjoy their one-time milestone age cash gifts,” according to Loreche.