Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (10th from left) with other Philippine officials after signing Republic Act 11982, or the Expanded Centenarians Act. Photo courtesy of Commission on Filipinos Overseas
THE Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) encourages all qualified overseas Filipino octogenarians, nonagenarians, and centenarians to take advantage of the incentives under the Expanded Centenarians Act or Republic Act 11982. This new law amended the Centenarians Act of 2016 or RA 10868, which only catered to Filipino centenarians.
Under Republic Act 11982, Filipinos who reach the milestone ages of 80, 85, 90, and 95 are entitled to a ₱10,000.00 cash gift. In contrast, those who reach 100 years old will receive a ₱100,000.00 cash gift and a Letter of Felicitation from the Philippine president.
This initiative aims to honor and recognize the longevity and contributions of elderly Filipinos to the Philippines’ national development. CFO is the agency under the Office of the President that links Filipinos overseas with the Philippines. Its constituents include Filipino permanent migrants, Filipino spouses and other partners of foreign nationals, Exchange Visitor Program participants, and Filipino Au Pair participants.
The CFO urges qualified overseas Filipino lolas, lolos, and their families to coordinate with the CFO or the nearest Philippine Embassy or Consulate of their domicile country for guidance in applying for the incentives.
To apply, qualified overseas Filipino senior citizens and their families are advised to prepare and submit documentary requirements such as: an application form with a 2×2 picture; a copy of a valid Philippine passport or copies of dual citizenship documents; details of a Philippine peso-denominated bank account; and a full-body picture.
CFO Chairperson Secretary Dante “Klink” Ang II expressed his delight for the CFO, as one of the implementing agencies of RA 11982, underscoring the invaluable contributions of our elderly kababayans overseas.
He said, “Our unique mandate focused on serving Filipino permanent migrants, Filipino spouses and partners of foreign nationals, dual citizens, Filipino youth overseas, Filipino Exchange Visitor Program Participants, Filipino Au Pair Participants, among others, has placed us with the extraordinary task of ensuring that Filipinos living abroad will never feel like their country has forgotten or abandoned them.”
Despite their distance from the Philippines, overseas Filipino senior citizens continue to play a vital role in the Philippines. In addition to providing economic support back home, they help preserve and promote Filipino culture and heritage by leading and attending events of community organizations, which foster a strong sense of national identity. Overseas Filipino senior citizens also share their professional expertise through mentorship and philanthropic activities that benefit their host and home countries. Furthermore, they are the leading advocates for policies and initiatives that support the welfare of both migrants and senior citizens.
“Our elderly kababayan overseas have made invaluable contributions and have impacted not only the lives of their families back home but also their communities and the Philippine national development. It is only fitting that we honor them through these incentives,” Sec. Ang said.
For more information, interested individuals may contact the CFO through the following:
- Telephone number: (+632) 8552-4724 locals 734 to 735
- Email address: [email protected]; [email protected]
- Address: 21st Floor, The Upper Class Tower, Quezon Ave. cor. Scout Reyes St., Brgy. Paligsahan, Quezon City 1103 Philippines.
Since 2019, the CFO has endorsed awarding the Php100,000.00 centenarian gift to 69 centenarian lolas and lolos who have chosen to live and retire overseas with their families. Of these, 49 (71%) are women, proving the prominence of the feminization of migration. All 69 beneficiaries are from major destination countries of Filipinos, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. In the Philippines, the majority of them hail from the Ilocos Region, Region III, Region IV-A, Region IV-B, Bicol, and NCR, which are also the significant places of origin of our overseas Filipinos.
