After thorough validation, and strict compliance to the Centenarian Program guidelines, DSWD Field Office (FO) Caraga was able to award, 13 centenarians from the province of Surigao del Norte, 10 from the province of Agusan del Norte, 8 from the province of Agusan del Sur, 8 from the province of Surigao del Sur, and 5 from the Province of Dinagat Islands in 2022.
Republic Act 10868 also known as the Centenarians Act of 2016 through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) entitles all Filipinos who reach 100 years old and above, whether living in the Philippines or abroad, a letter of felicitation from the President of the Philippines and a “centenarian gift” worth Php100,000.
The FO has always emphasized and deeply appreciated the role of the centenarians’ family and their efforts in nurturing the centenarians, which is a big factor why they reach such a milestone.
“Amo gyud nang irecognize ang mga caregiver kay sila man gyud ang nag hatag ug panahon para sila [Lola ug Lolo] muabot ani nga edad (We recognize the caregivers of our senior citizens because they devote their time for them [Senior Citizens] to reach this age),” Protective Services Division (PSD) Chief Jessie Catherine B. Aranas said.
Moreover, DSWD FO Caraga continues to commend partner Local Government Units (LGUs) who are replicating the Centenarians Act through their local ordinance that allocates budget for an additional gift from their office to their centenarians and encourages other LGUs to do the same.
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CENTENARIAN PROGRAM
To avail of the benefits under the law, it is important to note that the only requirement needed for a person to qualify as a beneficiary of the program is proof of their Filipino citizenship and documents supporting that they are indeed 100 years of age.
Relatives of the centenarians must submit primary documents such as birth certificates and Philippine Passport to the city or municipal social welfare office (C/MSWDO) and the Office for Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) in their localities for them to validate the beneficiary.
For any instance the applicant does not have the primary requirements, they may submit any valid Identification Card (ID) that proves their Filipino citizenship and birthdate that will determine their age such as;
- LTO-issued Driver’s License
- SSS ID
- GSIS ID
- PRC License
- Postal ID
- Voter’s ID o COMELEC certification
- Senior Citizen’s Identification Card o Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) ID
- Others – showing Filipino citizenship and year of birth
If the aforementioned options are not available, the last resorts are the following:
- Marriage Certificate
- Birth Certificate of Children
- Affidavit of at least two (2) disinterested persons
- Old School or Employment Records
- Baptismal or Confirmation Certificate
DSWD FO Caraga encourages citizens who are caring for their elderly families to file requirements in their Municipal or City Social Welfare Development Offices two (2) years before they turn 100 for a speedy and thorough validation of our social workers.
