Policy, purpose, and rules of construction
- The IRR are issued to prescribe the procedures and guidelines for implementation to facilitate compliance with Republic Act No. 10868 and achieve its objectives (Section 2).
- The IRR must be construed and applied in accordance with and in furtherance of the policies and objectives of Republic Act No. 10868 (Section 3).
- In case of conflict or ambiguity, the IRR must be construed liberally in favor of the centenarian (Section 3).
Key definitions for eligibility and awards
- A “Centenarian” means all Filipinos who have reached one hundred years old and above, whether residing in the Philippines or abroad.
- A “Letter of Felicitation” is a letter from the President of the Philippines congratulating the celebrant on longevity.
- A “Plaque of Recognition” is an award given to a living centenarian by the city or municipality where the centenarian resides.
- A “Posthumous Plaque of Recognition” is an award given to a deceased centenarian presented to the nearest surviving relative from the national government through the DSWD.
- A “Centenarian Gift” is the PHP 100,000.00 cash benefit given to the centenarian as a gift from the national government through the DSWD.
- “Cash incentive” is the amount awarded by the city or municipality to the centenarian as additional benefit to be determined by the concerned LGU.
- “National Respect for Centenarians Day” is the annual commemoration of centenarian day celebrated every first Sunday of October as part of the annual celebration of the Elderly Filipino Week (EFW) from October 1 to 7.
- “Nearest Surviving Relative” refers to the closest person related to the deceased centenarian by blood or affinity.
- “Identification Document” refers to any document or proof of being a centenarian used as basis for availment of the awards and incentives.
- “C/MSWDO” refers to the City or Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office, in charge of implementation of social service programs at the local level, including direct services for specific sectors like the elderly.
- “OSCA” refers to the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) established under Republic Act No. 9994, headed by an OSCA Head, primarily tasked to assist in implementing the Expanded Senior Citizens Act.
- “Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)” refers to all groups and organizations, whether non-government organizations (NGOs) or People’s Organizations (POs).
National Respect for Centenarians Day
- The first Sunday of October is declared as National Respect for Centenarians Day as part of the Elderly Filipino Week (EFW).
- The day is observed as a national event where centenarians must be honored and given the awards and/or incentives provided in Republic Act No. 10868 under these IRR (Rule III, Article 3).
Coverage of who receives benefits
- The awards and incentives under Republic Act No. 10868, implemented through these IRR, cover all Filipinos who have reached one hundred years old and above, whether residing in the Philippines or abroad (Rule IV, Article 4).
- The IRR provide national and local government awards and incentives to eligible centenarians (Rule V, Articles 5.1 and 5.2).
Awards and incentives: national and local
- A centenarian must receive a Letter of Felicitation signed by the President of the Philippines for living centenarians (Rule V, Article 5.1).
- A living centenarian must receive, in addition to the Letter of Felicitation, a cash award of PHP 100,000.00 as the Centenarian Gift (Rule V, Article 5.1).
- The PHP 100,000.00 for each centenarian must be taken from available funds of the DSWD included in the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA) (Rule V, Article 5.1).
- A Posthumous Plaque of Recognition must be awarded by the DSWD for a deceased centenarian and received by the nearest surviving relative (Rule V, Article 5.1).
- The centenarian must receive from the city or municipality where the centenarian resides a Plaque of Recognition acknowledging longevity (Rule V, Article 5.2).
- The city or municipality must also grant the centenarian a cash incentive together with the Plaque of Recognition (Rule V, Article 5.2).
- The cash incentive amount is determined by the concerned LGU (Rule V, Article 5.2).
- Due consideration must be given to any local ordinance passed earlier granting a similar cash incentive for centenarians (Rule V, Article 5.2).
- The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) must issue the necessary directive or guidelines enjoining city and municipal officials to implement the Act within 60 days from the effectivity of these IRR (Rule V, Article 5.2).
Proof of identity and eligibility documents
- A centenarian must present the birth certificate or Philippine passport to prove entitlement to the awards and incentives (Rule VI, Article 6).
- If neither the birth certificate nor Philippine passport is available, any one (1) of the following primary IDs may be accepted:
- Senior Citizen’s Identification (ID) Card issued by the OSCA indicating the year of birth; or
- Other Philippine-government issued identification cards showing Filipino citizenship and year of birth as a reference point for eligibility (e.g., LTO Driver’s License, GSIS, SSS, PRC license, Philippine Posts ID, COMELEC voter’s ID).
- If the primary IDs are not available, any two (2) of the following secondary documents may be accepted:
- Marriage Certificate of the centenarian issued by the PSA or the Local Civil Registrar;
- Birth Certificates of children borne by or of the centenarian;
- Affidavits executed by at least two (2) disinterested persons with personal knowledge of the centenarian’s actual age or date of birth;
- Old school or employment records showing the date of birth of the centenarian;
- Baptismal and/or Confirmation records of the centenarian certified by the parish church.
- Any false attestations or certifications issued must be treated as punishable under the Revised Penal Code, Civil Code, and other existing laws for the matter (Rule VI, Article 6).
- For centenarians residing abroad, valid identification documents recognized in the country of residence must be provided and verified and certified by the Philippine embassy or consulate (Rule VI, Article 6).
- The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), in cooperation with the DFA, must issue appropriate guidelines within 60 days after the effectivity of these IRR (Rule VI, Article 6).
Verification and implementing coordination timelines
- The DSWD, as the primary government agency tasked with welfare and interests of senior citizens, must formulate and issue supplemental guidelines to operationalize and implement Republic Act No. 10868 within 60 days from the effectivity of these IRR (Rule VII, Article 7).
Funding and appropriation
- During the initial year of implementation, the required funds must be sourced from the available funds of the DSWD (Rule VIII, Article 8).
- After the initial year, the necessary amount to implement the Act must be included in the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA) (Rule VIII, Article 8).
Final provisions: repeal, separability, and effectivity
- All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders, and rules and regulations, or parts thereof, that are contrary to or inconsistent with these IRR are repealed or modified accordingly (Rule VIX, Article 10).
- If any provision of these IRR is declared unconstitutional or invalid by a court of law, the provision must be severed and the remainder must remain enforceable (Rule VIX, Article 11).
- These IRR take effect fifteen (15) days after complete publication in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation, the Official Gazette, and submission to the Office of the National Register, UP Law Center, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City (Rule VIX, Article 12).
Promulgating officials and consultation
- The IRR were signed by the Secretary, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Secretary, Department of Health (DOH), Secretary, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the Officer-in-Charger, Commission on Filipinos Overseas.
- The IRR were in consultation with and witnessed by representatives of the Federation of Senior Citizens Association of the Philippines (FSCAP), the Coalition of Services for the Elderly (COSE), the National Anti-Poverty Commission—Senior Citizens Sectoral Council (NAPC-SCSC), and the Confederation of Older Persons Association of the Philippines (COPAP).