Marcos Jr. leads payout of cash gifts to senior citizens

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. led the inaugural payout of P10,000 cash gifts to qualified senior citizens under the Expanded Centenarians Act of 2024.

The law grants PHP10,000 to senior citizens upon reaching the ages of 80, 85, 90, and 95, and PHP100,000 for centenarians.

During the ceremony at Malacañang, Marcos emphasized the importance of love, care, and protection for elders, aiming for them to live with comfort and dignity in the "New Philippines."

He distributed cash gifts to select beneficiaries identified by the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC), with simultaneous payouts benefiting 1,079 elderly nationwide.

The NCSC aims to complete the distribution to 7,759 identified beneficiaries by the end of February.

A total of P2.9 billion in financial aid will be distributed to 275,000 senior citizens across the country this year.

The President also noted that about 73 percent of senior citizens depend on family support, while 55 percent use their own money for health expenses.