CENTENARIANS cannot take advantage of the money the government has bestowed on them after they reached 100 years, veteran provincial Board Member Atty. Tomas D. Abapo, Jr. of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan said.
“Actually the centenarians cannot anymore enjoy this amount which is supposedly for their own good, and at other times, it is the source of quarrel by the heirs,” Abapo told his colleagues during the session recently.
He said that the dependents are the ones who actually benefited from it. “Some say that it could be by the dependents, others would pay it for their motorcycle, others make a store, or whatever.”
And BM Nathaniel Binlod agreed. “In such instances, it could happen, that the well-intentioned financial support may not directly benefit the centenarian as intended. Instead, it might inadvertently become a resource for immediate family members, overshadowing the intended purpose of honoring and supporting our elderly citizens.”
Abapo’s observation came after Binlod has proposed in his privilege speech that 50% of the money (P100,000.00) as “advance” for the qualified centenarians be given to those who reached 90 and 95 years old.
“The essence of this proposal lies in our earnest commitment to ensure that our centenarians derive the maximum benefit from the financial assistance intended for them. The current practice of awarding the entire Php100,000 only upon reaching the age of 100 may inadvertently lead to situations where the elderly may not fully enjoy the intended advantages due to various health and age-related issues,” Binlod said.
This way, the existing Provincial Ordinance No. 2022-003, also known as the “Revised Bohol Centenarian Ordinance,” may be amended.
But Abapo did not like the use of the term “advance,” saying, “But I would just like to give a word of caution that when you give in advance an amount, that is not for the centenarian because the centenarian is only 100 years old.”
Abapo suggested to change the terminology “so that if we can give an advance, maybe to a senior citizen, but we change the terminology because if we give in advance, that is not already for the centenarians.”
The matter was referred to the social services committee of the provincial board.
The SP passed Resolution No. 2024-102, congratulating the herein mentioned qualified Boholano Centenarians per Provincial Ordinance No. 2022-003. The centenarians are Teofila F. Boyles, 100, of Purok 3, Tipolo, Ubay town and Simeon I. Apale, 100, of Canapnapan, Corella, Bohol.
The Resolution is sponsored by BM Venzencio B. Arcamo and co-sponsored by Presiding Officer, Vice Governor Dionisio Victor A. Balite). (ricobedencio@yahoo.com)
