MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered government agencies to move quickly to resolve delays in the release of cash gifts owed to qualified senior citizens under the Expanded Centenarians Act, after a group of elderly residents in Quezon City filed complaints over the stalled payments.
The Palace said the President wants the benefits delivered to eligible senior citizens as quickly as possible, following complaints filed with the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) against the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC).
The controversy centers on the ₱10,000 cash gift provided under Republic Act No. 11982, or the Expanded Centenarians Act. Under the law, Filipinos who reach the milestone ages of 80, 85, 90, and 95 are entitled to ₱10,000 at each qualifying milestone.
Filipinos who reach 100 years old, meanwhile, are entitled to a ₱100,000 cash gift and a letter of felicitation from the President. The benefit applies to Filipinos living in the Philippines as well as those residing abroad.
Senior citizens raise alarm over delays
The issue came to a head after eight senior citizens from Quezon City, reportedly aged 80 to 85 and residents of Barangay Marilag, filed anti-red tape complaints against the NCSC on August 24.
The complainants raised concerns over delays in receiving the cash gifts they say they are entitled to under the law. One of the complainants, Benjamin Rosario, said some seniors had already died without receiving their benefits, adding urgency to their appeal for government action.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the complaints had reached Marcos, prompting the President to order that the issue be addressed immediately.
ARTA endorsed the complaints to the NCSC’s Committee on Anti-Red Tape on August 25. A clarificatory meeting is scheduled for August 28, involving ARTA, the NCSC, concerned local government officials and the senior citizens who filed the complaints.
The ₱10,000 benefit is different from the monthly senior pension
The cash gift under the Expanded Centenarians Act should not be confused with the government’s Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens, which is a separate program administered by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
The DSWD reported that its social pension program was providing ₱1,000 per month to qualified indigent senior citizens, with more than 3.4 million beneficiaries served during the first quarter of 2026.
The Expanded Centenarians Act benefit, on the other hand, is tied specifically to age milestones—80, 85, 90, 95 and 100.
Government has already been moving toward digital payouts
The latest dispute comes as the government has been attempting to modernize the way these cash gifts are distributed.
The NCSC and LandBank signed a supplemental agreement in July 2026 to expand the digital distribution of cash gifts, allowing qualified beneficiaries to receive payments through electronic channels, including nominated bank accounts and LandBank-related payment facilities.
Earlier in 2026, the NCSC also announced a pilot bank-transfer system intended to make distribution faster, safer and more convenient. The commission said it distributed about ₱2.8 billion in cash gifts in 2025, including delayed payments from the previous year.
The government has also been strengthening verification of beneficiaries. The Philippine Statistics Authority said it had processed 29,546 applications nationwide as of April 20, 2026, helping verify birth records needed to establish eligibility for benefits under the law.
Why the issue matters
For many elderly Filipinos, the cash gift represents more than a government payment—it is a benefit specifically created by law to recognize important milestones in their lives.
The complaints now put pressure on the NCSC and other concerned agencies to determine where delays occurred and how the distribution process can be made faster.
For eligible seniors who have already reached 80, 85, 90 or 95, the immediate question is no longer whether the benefit exists—the law clearly provides for it. The focus is now on how quickly qualified beneficiaries can actually receive the money they are entitled to.
With the August 28 meeting approaching, attention will turn to whether the complaints result in concrete measures to clear delayed claims and prevent other senior citizens from facing similar problems.
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