Marcos wants speedy release of cash gifts for seniors

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has ordered the release of stalled cash gifts for senior citizens after a group complained of delays in distribution.

A group of senior citizens from Quezon City filed a complaint against the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) before the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) over the delayed issuance of their milestone cash gifts.

"Ito po ay nakarating sa Pangulo at kailangan po talaga maibigay kung ano ang benepisyo na dapat ibigay sa ating mga elderlies, lalung-lalo na iyong mga senior citizens dahil iyan naman po ay talagang kailangang maipaabot sa kanila nang mas mabilis at sa mabilis na pamamaraan," Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said.

(This has reached the President. It is really urgent to give proper benefits to the elderly, especially the senior citizens, because these are truly important and need to reach them in a swift manner.)

Castro said Marcos has ordered the ARTA to endorse the complaint against the NCSC. A clarificatory meeting has been scheduled on August 28 between the ARTA, the NCSC, and the complainants.

Benjamin Rosario, one of the senior citizen complainants, stressed that they need the cash gift.

"Marami na rin ang namatay na seniors nang hindi nakatanggap ng P10,000 ECA (Expanded Centenarians Act) cash gift mula sa NCSC. Ito ang isa sa mga dahilan ng aming paghain ng reklamo sa ARTA," Rosario said on Facebook.

(There are a lot of seniors who have died without receiving their P10,000 ECA cash gift from the NCSC. This is one of the reasons we filed a complaint with the ARTA.)

Under the ECA, senior citizens who reach milestone ages of 80, 85, 90, and 95 years old are entitled to a P10,000 cash gift.

Senior citizens who reach 100 years old are entitled to P100,000. — VDV, GMA News