Makati City is raising the annual cash incentives for its senior citizens by P1,000 beginning this July, following the signing of a new ordinance by Mayor Abby Binay. The increase will apply to all eligible Blu Card holders under the city’s long-running social welfare program for the elderly.

City Ordinance No. 2025-104 adjusts the total annual cash gift received by registered senior citizens, depending on their age bracket. With the updated rates, seniors aged 60 to 69 will now receive P4,000, those aged 70 to 79 will get P5,000, while those aged 80 to 89 will receive P6,000. Seniors aged 90 to 99 are set to receive P11,000, and those 101 years old and above will get P12,000. These will be given in two equal tranches — in July and December. Meanwhile, centenarians who turn 100 years old will still receive a one-time P100,000 cash gift and a plaque of appreciation from the city.

Mayor Binay said the move aims to help elderly residents cope with rising living expenses. “We are happy to inform our beloved senior Makatizens that they will be receiving a bigger midyear cash gift this July, and again in December for their yearend cash gift. We hope they could use the money for essential needs, especially with the rising cost of goods,” she said.

To qualify for the higher incentives for ages 90 and up, a senior must have been a Blu Card holder for at least five years, as certified by the Makati Social Welfare Department. If not, the recipient will receive the base amount of P6,000, the same amount given to those aged 80 to 89.

Only Makati residents who are also registered voters for at least two years, and holders of a valid Blu Card or Makatizen Card, are eligible. Transferees, including former EMBO residents who have resettled in Makati, must wait two years after establishing residency before qualifying for the incentive.

The ordinance also introduces new guidelines for newly qualified senior citizens and for cases where a beneficiary dies within the year. Seniors who register between 1 January and 31 March will be eligible for both the midyear and yearend gifts. Those who register from 1 April to 30 September will receive only the yearend gift, while those who register between 1 October and 31 December will not be eligible for either. In cases of death, those who pass away between 1 January and 31 March will not be eligible for any incentives that year. Seniors who die between 1 April and 30 September will be granted only the midyear gift, while those who pass between 1 October and 31 December will remain entitled to both.

The measure, approved by the Sangguniang Panlungsod on 11 June, builds on a series of initiatives by Mayor Binay to improve the well-being of Makati’s elderly. In 2019, she signed an ordinance that raised the annual incentive for seniors aged 90 to 99 to P10,000.

“It is our way of acknowledging their invaluable contributions to the community and to the city as a whole. Gusto kong masabi ng mga seniors na masarap tumanda sa Makati,” Binay said.