Mayor Joseph Estrada has awarded 17 more centenarians—those who reach the age of 100 or more—with P100,00 cash gift each, to show his continuing endeavor to support senior citizens in Manila.
This brings to 42 the number of centenarians that benefited from Estrada’s P100,000 cash incentive program that he started last year.
Estrada was elated that he personally met 11 of the 17 centenarians during a simple awarding ceremony at his office over the weekend; the remaining six were physically unfit to go to the city hall to receive their P100,000 checks.
“You are the living legends of Manila. We look up to you as our heroes,” Estrada told the centenarians.
“We’re hoping this small amount could help you live your life comfortably, and should be able to help you in your healthcare necessities,” he said.
Of the 17 latest beneficiaries, the oldest was Laurenciano Bohol, a resident of Barangay 223 in Yuseco Street, Tondo. At age 106, he beamed and greeted Estrada as he received his P100,000 check.
The other centenarian-beneficiaries were Jacoba Bautista, 101; Matilde Capiral, 100; Emilio Chavez, 100; Luz Dela Cruz, 100; Geronima Diaz, 104; Armelia Quizon, 100; Dolores Nalus, 100; Lando Nanding, 102; Cecilia Nubla, 101; Lourdes Perete, 100; Juana Refuerzo, 100; Ester Simbol, 100; Kim Tan, 100; Genoveva Viar, 100; Carmen Yu, 100; and Virginia Zara, 102.
Jeffrey Manansala of the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs said another batch of centenarians will receive the P100,000 cash gift next month.
“It is a joy for us to recognize these centenarians. Mayor Estrada wants to help them and remember them in a special way through this cash gift program,” Manansala said.
The P100,000 cash gift program has been authorized by Ordinance No. 8483 approved by Estrada on March 17, 2016.
Under the ordinance authored by then 3rd District Councilor and now 3rd District Rep. Yul Servo, every living centenarian shall, within 30 days from his or her 100th birthday, receive a cash gift of P100,000 from the city government.
On the other hand, centenarians who reached the age of 100 prior to the passage of the ordinance shall also receive the cash gift. The centenarian-beneficiaries should be residents of Manila for at last six months.
Aside from the P100,000 cash gift, every centenarian receives P10,000 each during the yearly celebration of Araw ng Maynila on June 24.
Senior citizens in Manila, which number around 134,000, are also entitled to free medical checkups, hospitalization, maintenance medicines and other healthcare services from the six city-run public hospitals and 59 community health centers. They also receive P500 cash gift on their birthdays.
Manila’s elderly can also watch movies for free on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays in any movie house in the city.