ANGELES CITY — Two centenarians from this city received Certificates of Recognition and a P100,000 cash gift each from Mayor Carmelo ‘Pogi’ Lazatin Jr., together with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Marcelino Tuazon of Barangay Lourdes Northwest and Severina Bigornia of Barangay Malabanias each received the cash benefit from the national government by virtue of Republic Act 10868.
On behalf of Birgornia, who died last January 14, 2023, her family members received the certificate and cash gift.
RA 10868, also known as the Centenarians Act of 2016, grants all Filipinos who reach the age of 100, whether residing in the country or abroad, a cash award of P100,000 as a gift.
Mayor Lazatin personally handed over the checks via house-to-house visit, and was joined by Barangay Malabanias Council, headed by Punong Barangay Luz Nava, Barangay Lourdes Northwest Council, led by Punong Barangay Nicanor Soriano, City Social Welfare and Development Officer Edna Duaso, Social Welfare Officer IV Francis De Guzman, Social Welfare Officer II Ana Rose Lansang, Judith Manalastas of DSWD, and CSWDO Focal Person for Senior Citizens Program Cherry Garung during the awarding of cash gifts.
President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. also sent a personal letter of felicitation, congratulating the two centenarians for achieving this milestone.
Lazatin underscored the important role of each family member in ensuring the welfare of the elderly.
“Malaking bagay para sa centenarians natin na nandiyan ang kanilang pamilya sa kanilang pagtanda. Ang suporta, pagmamahal at pagaaruga na binibigay nila ay hindi matatawaran,” Lazatin said.
One of the cornerstones of the Lazatin administration is ensuring the welfare of the elderly.
Since he took office in 2019, all senior citizens here each received a P1,000 cash gift and vitamin supplements yearly from the city government.
Based on DSWD Memorandum Circular No. 4, series of 2017, centenarians are identified by existing databases: local office of senior citizens affairs, social pension, Community Based Monitoring System (CBMS), public and private residential care facilities, client inventories and data from the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO).
Relatives of the applicants must submit primary documents such as birth certificates and Philippine passports that are needed to be presented by centenarians during the validation process to their localities.
