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Give the centenarians what is due them before it’s late: Sen. Imee Marcos, during Wednesday’s plenary session March 22, 2023, appeals to her colleagues to hasten the passage of Senate Bill No. (SBN) 2028 under Committee Report No. 61 or an Act Amending Section 2 of Republic Act (RA) No. 10868, otherwise known as the Centenarians Act of 2016. The law provides that those who will reach the age of 100 will be granted P100,000 cash gift. Marcos, chairperson of the Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development, stressed that the senior citizens’ hard work had shaped the country. “Even in their late years, they continue to make a significant contribution to the labor force, to their families and to the state,” she said in her sponsorship speech. Citing statistics, the senator noted that many elderly Filipinos do not reach 100 years old and are unable to enjoy the benefits and privileges of RA 10868. The bill seeks to distribute the P100,000 cash gift much earlier and in three tranches: when they reach the ages 80, 90 and 100. “The rising cost of living and healthcare expenses have made it very difficult for our senior citizens to afford basic necessities and the expensive medications and procedures of heart ailments, diabetes, kidney failure and other age-related disabilities. They also face mental health issues such as depression and loneliness, not to speak of the neglectful and sometimes abusive treatment of their younger family members,” Marcos said. (Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB)