DAVAO CITY—Seventy-eight senior citizens aged 80 and above will be the first recipients of cash incentives under Republic Act 11982, also known as the Expanded Centenarian Act. The initial payout is set for February 26 at the Davao City Recreational Center (Almendreas Gym).

Maria Victoria Arancon, project development officer for the National Commission for Senior Citizens (NCSC) Cluster-VIII in the Davao Region, confirmed the launch of the program.

"The implementation of RA 11982 will begin with a simultaneous payout on February 26. This marks the start of the octogenarian, nonagenarian, and centenarian cash incentive program," Arancon stated.

Under the amended centenarian law, senior citizens who reach milestone ages of 80, 85, 90, and 95 will receive ₱10,000 each, while those reaching 100 years old will be awarded ₱100,000.

Of the 78 beneficiaries in Davao City, one is a centenarian. The city will serve as the pilot area for the program before expanding to Davao del Norte, Davao de Oro, and Davao Occidental.

While no specific dates have been set for payouts in the provinces, Arancon said that the initial batch of beneficiaries has already been validated. The current breakdown includes 29 recipients from Davao del Norte, 10 from Davao de Oro, and 10 from Davao Occidental.

"The number of beneficiaries is relatively small since we had limited time to prepare in January. We prioritized those who celebrated their milestone birthdays between January 1 and 31," she explained.

Senior citizens who have yet to apply for the program can still do so through the NCSC, in coordination with their local social welfare development offices and the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA).

Applicants are required to present either their birth certificate or a PhilSys ID and can apply at their respective OSCA offices, which work in partnership with the NCSC to facilitate the distribution of benefits under the Expanded Centenarian Act.