Lambunao: A total of 65 elderly residents, including octogenarians, nonagenarians, and a centenarian from Lambunao, Iloilo, have received cash incentives as part of the Expanded Centenarians Act.
According to Philippine News Agency, Lambunao Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer Althea Lacuesta shared that the recipients were individuals who reached the ages of 80, 85, 90, 95, and 100 during the first quarter of 2025. The breakdown of recipients includes 31 individuals aged 80, 18 aged 85, six aged 90, nine aged 95, and one centenarian.
The octogenarians and nonagenarians were each awarded PHP10,000 by the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC), which personally distributed the cash gifts during an event held at the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs on April 11. The centenarian, Angelica Lebrilla Lozarita from Barangay Bagongbong, received PHP100,000 and a Letter of Felicitation from Malaca±ang.
Lacuesta noted that there are 215 senior citizens who will become eligible for the incentives between April and December. Additionally, 96 individuals who became octogenarians and nonagenarians since the law’s implementation last year are awaiting their cash incentives.
Lacuesta emphasized the significant impact of these incentives on the beneficiaries, recounting emotional reactions from recipients who plan to use the funds for essential needs such as medicine, food, and supplements. “We told the folks that the incentive should be used for the food of the senior citizen,” she said.
The process for obtaining the incentives involves document submission at the MSWD office, after which the NCSC schedules the payout. Lacuesta reported that the municipality currently has 10,601 registered senior citizens, including 12 centenarians from the previous year.
When asked about the key to longevity, the beneficiaries cited a lifestyle focused on healthy living, a vegetable-rich diet, and the absence of vices. Lacuesta also mentioned that apart from the benefits provided under the Expanded Centenarians Act, there are 6,306 indigent senior citizens receiving a monthly social pension, with an additional 1,309 individuals on the waiting list.
