Several Quezon City senior citizens on Monday filed anti-red tape complaints against the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) over delays in releasing P10,000 cash gifts under the Expanded Centenarian Act.
Eight members of the Marilag Senior Citizens Association, aged 80 to 85, filed the complaints before the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), saying prolonged delays have left elderly beneficiaries waiting months for benefits tied to their milestone birthdays.
The group said some senior citizens have died without receiving the cash gift, hence, prompting them to seek government intervention.
The Expanded Centenarian Act grants ₱10,000 to Filipinos upon reaching 80, 85, 90 and 95 years old, and P100,000 upon reaching 100.
“For an 80-, 85-, 90- or 95-year-old senior citizen, waiting months for a benefit that should have been received on or near a milestone birthday is not a minor inconvenience,” said Marilag Senior Citizens Association president Ben Rosario.
“At this stage of life, every month matters,” he added.
The group said the delays are not limited to Quezon City as tens of thousands of senior citizens nationwide reportedly still waiting for their benefits.
“The ECA cash gift is not merely P10,000. For many senior citizens, it represents recognition, dignity and the assurance that the government remembers them,” the group said.#