The National Commission for Senior Citizens (NCSC) has ordered the immediate processing and release of the P100,000 cash gift for four Aeta centenarians who were not granted the benefit in 2024, following the transfer of the program from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to the commission in 2025.

Even before the NCSC central office formally received the applications, the commission initiated urgent action to address the inherited backlog from the previous implementing agency and ensure that all remaining beneficiaries are served in accordance with Republic Act No. 11982, or the Expanded Centenarians Act.

NCSC Chairperson Merceditas Gutierrez said the commission continued to identify and verify qualified beneficiaries despite the absence of allocated funds for the program in 2024.

“Despite funding limitations during that year, we immediately coordinated with the Department of Budget and Management to ensure the uninterrupted processing of qualified senior citizens,” Gutierrez said.

In 2025, the NCSC released more than P2.8 billion in centenarian cash gifts, including payments to delayed beneficiaries from 2024. The commission reported over 96 percent budget utilization, reflecting intensified implementation and accelerated service delivery.

The NCSC is currently coordinating with the local government of Capas, Tarlac to complete the necessary documentation for the immediate release of benefits to the Aeta centenarians.

The commission also announced the pilot implementation of a bank transfer system in the first quarter of the year to make benefit distribution faster, more transparent, secure, and convenient for senior citizen beneficiaries. Applicants who opted for bank deposit will begin receiving their cash gifts directly through their ATM accounts, Gutierrez said, noting that the system helps ensure the benefit reaches the intended centenarian beneficiary.