To honour Filipinos who have reached the age of 100 years old, DSWD Field Office IX has granted the cash incentive amounting to 100,000 to the twelve living centenarians in Region IX.

Social Pension Focal Person, Gloria Patayan in the presence of MSWDOs, led the pay-out last May 2017 to those centenarians validated in the 2016 list. Majority of the identified recipients came from Municipalities under Zamboanga Del Norte and Zamboanga Del Sur.  Six out of the twelve centenarians are men, while six are women respectively.

“We are grateful to be instruments of bringing these privileges to our Filipino Centenarians, which indeed they truly deserve. With pride, we value them with high respect for their contribution and for serving as inspiration to others.” Said DSWD Regional Director, Atty. Araceli F. Solamillo, CESO II

Apart from the 100, 000 cash incentives, the centenarians will also receive letter of Felicitation signed by the President. However, for those centenarians who died upon the effectively of the act shall receive Posthumous Plaque of Recognition given to the nearest surviving relative. The Local Government Units are also encouraged to provide incentives and plaque of recognition at their end.

Centenarians can be identified through community level where target beneficiaries shall be based on the existing database such as record of OSCA-issued senior citizens ID, Social Pension Beneficiaries, Listahanan, CBMS and other similar sources. Inventory of clients in Residential facilities both publicly and privately –run can also serve as identification meanwhile, for centenarians living abroad, the Commission on Filipino Overseas (CFO) database can be used as basis as well.

The families of the recipients expressed gratitude in the government for providing the centenarians with privileges and for acknowledging their contribution in the society.

The centenarians were identified and validated after the RA10868 or the Centenarians Act of 2016 took effect.