The Marcos administration’s proposed 2027 national budget allocates ₱51.6 billion for the social pension of indigent senior citizens and ₱3.4 billion for the Expanded Centenarians Act, which now provides financial assistance to seniors reaching the milestone ages of 80, 85, 90, 95, and 100, not just centenarians as the original law provided, Budget Secretary Kim Robert De Leon said Saturday.
De Leon explained the details in an interview on DZRH News program Special on Saturday on September 5, as part of the DZRH SONA 2026 Series featuring the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
The President’s Budget chief said the ₱51.6 billion social pension provides ₱1,000 per month to indigent senior citizens who do not receive any pension from either the Government Service Insurance System or the Social Security System.
“Para sa mga senior citizens natin, Ka Caesar, meron tayong 51.6 billion para sa kanilang mga social pension, sa mga indigent senior citizen. Ito yung binibigay nating tulong sa mga hindi nakakatanggap ng kahit anong pension mula sa GSIS o SSS,” De Leon said.
He said the Expanded Centenarians Act goes beyond the original law, which only provided financial assistance to Filipinos who reach 100 years old, now covering four additional milestone ages.
“Dati kasi 100,000 for 100 years old lamang. Pero ngayon, dun sa Expanded Centenarians Act, mag-uumpisa na ngayon ‘yan sa 80, 85, 90, 95. So may kabuuang 3.4 billion para dun sa patuloy na implementasyon nung ating Expanded Centenarians Act,” De Leon said.
He explained the specific amounts: seniors reaching ages 80, 85, 90, and 95 each receive ₱10,000, while those reaching 100 years old receive ₱100,000.
De Leon noted that the social pension figure is slightly lower than last year’s ₱51.8 billion — not because of a budget cut but because the National Commission for Senior Citizens has been continuously validating and updating its list of qualified beneficiaries.
He said the combination of the social pension and the Expanded Centenarians Act ensures that every Filipino senior citizen who has no other source of pension support receives at least a basic monthly allowance — and a meaningful financial gift at every major milestone of their longevity.
