Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
.  .1  .\  ^   -.
HOUSE BILL NO.
Introduced by Representative
GERVILLE "|INKY BITRICS" R. LUISTR0
Second District, Batangas
EXPLANATORY NOTE
``Those who respect the elderly pave their own road toward success.1"
Care for the elderly is rudimentary in every civilized society. It is the moral duty
of the present generation to attend to the needs of the previous one. To honor them, the
state should provide senior citizens with the utmost benefits and privileges that will
enable them to enjoy the sunset of their lives.
1 African Proverb


Repubhc  Act  No.  10868  also  known  as  the  ``Centenarians  Act  of  2016"  was
enacted in honor of senior citizens.   It granted cash rewards and recognition to those
who have reached 100 years old.
Since the passage of the above-mentioned law, only a few senior citizens enjoyed
the benefits it provided. Only a handful of elderly reached 100 years old. According to
data from the World Health Organization, the life expectancy in the Philippines is 71.53
years old.  Consequently, it is almost improbable for Filipino senior citizens to enjoy the
privileges granted by Republic Act No. 10868.
This bill aims to honor senior citizens by granting all the benefits, privileges, and
recognition under Republic Act No. 10868 to ``octogenarians" (senior citizens who are
eighty (80) years old), and `'nonagenarians" (or senior citizens who are ninety (90) years
old). It reduced the age of entitlement so that many senior citizens will be eligible to
receive cash benefits and recognition provided by the state.
Due recognition is hereby extended to the distinguished primary authors of this
bill during the 18th Congress, namely: Honorable Representatives Manuel ``Way Kurat"
E. Zamora,  Ma.  Lourdes T.  Arroyo, Sormy ``SL"  L.  Lagon, Dahlia A.  Loyola, Jose L.
Atienza,  Jr.,   Mark  0.   Go,   Precious  Hipolito   Castelo,   Luis   Raymund   ``LRay"   F.
Villafuerte,  Joaquin  M.  Chipeco,  ]r.,  ]ocelyn  F.  Fortuno,  Strike  8.  Revilla,  Carlito  S.
Marquez, Ronaldo 8. Zamora, Diego ``Nonoy" C. Ty, Alfred C. Delos Santos, ]ulieme
"Jam" L. Baronda, Eric Go Yap, ]ocelyn P. Tulfo, Rowena ``Nina 0. Taduran, Tyrone D.
Agabas, Manuel DG. Cabochan Ill, Raul C. Tupas, John MaIvin ``Yul Servo" C. Nieto,
Francisco G. Datol, Maria Fe R. Abunda, Candlle A. Villar, Joy Myra S. Tambunting,
"Kuya" Jose Antonio R. Sy-Alvarado, Rodolfo ``Ompong" M. Ordanes, and Manuel F.
Zubiri, for the time and determination that they expended in its thorough deliberations
in the committee level and its subsequent approval on 3rd Reading at the plenary.
Undersigned earnestly seek the immediate consideration and passage of
this proposed measure.


Republic of the Philippines
HOusE oF REPRESENTATrvEs
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
- .^ ` - -
HOUSE BILL NO.
Introduced by Representative
ATTY. GERVILLE "TINKY BITRICS" R. LUISTR0
Second District, Batangas
AN ACT GRANTING ADDITIONAL BENEFITS T0 FILIPINO CENTENERIANS
RECOGNIZING OCTOGENARIANS AND NONAGENARIANS, AND
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10868, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE ``CENTENARIAN ACT
OF 2016,,


Be it enacted by the Senate and the House Of Rapresentatives  of the  Phitippines in Congress
assembled:
SECTION 1.  Section 2 of Republic Act No. 10868 is amended to read as follows:
``Sec. 2 [Letter of Fehicitation and Cash Gift] BENEFITS FOR CENTENARIANS
- All Filipinos who reach the age of one hundred (100) years old whether residing in the
Philippines or abroad, shall be honored with:
(a) A letter of felicitation from the President of the PhiHppines congratulating the
celebrant [for his and her] ON ONE'S longevity; and
(b) A   Centenarian   Gift   in   the   amount   of   one   hundred   thousand   pesos
a?hpl00,000.00)
''ALL FILIPINO CENTENARIANS WII0 REACH THE AGE OF ONE
HUNDRED AND ONE (101) YEARS OLD SHALL RECEIVE A CASH
GIFT IN THE AMOUI`IT 0F ONE MILLION PESOS (Php 1,000,000.00)
ON THEIR BIRTHDAY."
SECTION 2. A new section denominated as Section 3 of the same Act is added to read
as follows:
"SEC. 3.         BENEFITS           FOR           OCTOGENARIANS           AND
NONAGENARIANS. - ALL FILIPINOS WIIO REACH THE AGE 0F EIGHTY
(80), EIGHTY-FIVE (85), NINETY (90) AND NINETY-FIVE  (95) YEARS OLD
SHALL   ALSO   RECEIVE   A   LETTER   0F   FELICITATION   FROM   THE
PRESIDENT AND A CASH GIFT oF Ti^rENT¥-FIVE THoUSAND pESoS
(Php 25'000.00).„
SECTION 3. Sections  3  and 4  of the same Act  are  renumbered as  Sections 4 and  5
respectively.
SECTION 4.  A new section denominated as Section 6 of the same Act is added to read
as follows:
"SEC. 6.         LEAD AGENCY -THE NATIONAL COMMISSION OF SENIOR
CITIZENS (NCSC) SHALL IMPLEMENT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT."


SECTION 5. Section 5 of the same Act is renumbered as Section 7 and amended to read
as follows:
``SEC. [5] 7. [Funding. - During the initial year of the implementation of this Act,
the requisite fund shall be sourced from the available funds of the Department of Social
Welfare  and  Development  (DSWD),  and  subsequently  the  amount  necessary  to
implement  the  provisions  of  this  Act  shall  be  included  in  the  armual  General
Appropriations Act."]
``APPROPRIATIONS.     -     THE     AMOUNT     NECESSARY     FOR     THE
IMPLEMENTATI0N   0F   THIS   ACT   SHALL   BE   INCLUDED   IN   THE
ANNUAL GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT."
SECTION 6. Section 6 of the same Act is renumbered as Section 8 and amended to read
as follows:
``SEC.  [6]  8.  Implementing  Rules  and  Regulations.  -  Within  thirty  (30)
days   from   the   effectivity   Of   this   Act,   the   [Secretaries   Of   the   DSWD]
CHAIRPERSON 0F THE NCSC SHALL,  IN  CONSULTATION WITH THE
SECRETARY     OF     SOCIAL     WELFARE     AND     DEVELOPMENT,     the
[DEPAR"ENT]  SECRETARY  of  the  Interior  and  Local  Government,  the
[DEPARTMENT] SECRETARY of Health, [and] [DEPARTMENT] SECRETARY
of Migrant Workers, AND THE UNDERSECRETARY OF THE PHILIPPINES
STATISTICS OFFICE, [shall] promulgate the necessary [guidelines for and sham
take    the    lead    in]    RULES    AND    REGULATIONS    FOR    the    effective
implementation of this Act."
SECTION 7. Sections 7 and 8 of the same Act are renumbered as Sections 9 and 10
respectively.
SECTION 8. All  laws,  presidential  decrees,  issuances,  executive  orders,  letters  of
instruction, rules and or regulations, or parts thereof inconsistent with or contrary to the
provisions of this Act are repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.
SECTION 9. This  Act  shall  take  effect  fifteen  (15)  days  after  its  publication  in  the
O#c!.¢J G¢zeffe or in a newspaper of general circulation.
APPROVED.