DISTRICT 2 Councilor Winnie Castelo is proposing the grant of a P50,000 longevity gift to elderly residents of Quezon City who reach the age of 70 and 80.

The proposal of Castelo, who is the vice mayoral running mate of mayoral aspirant Mike Defensor, is contained in Proposed Ordinance No. 525, S-2021 filed with the city council.

“In our country, we value and respect the contributions of senior citizens in nation building. The vast experience they impart among families and in society are valuable and appreciated,” the District 2 councilor said.

As evidence of such appreciation, Castelo said the Constitution mandates “that the family has the duty to care for its elderly, but the State may also do so through just programs of social security.”

Pursuant to this mandate, Congress has passed several laws to promote the interest and well-being of senior citizens, including Republic Act No. 10686, or the Centenarians Act of 2016, which grants a gift of P100,000 to each Filipino citizen who reaches the age of 100, whether residing here or abroad, he said.

He added that his proposal complements such law and his proposed P50,000 award would be on top of what RA No. 10686 grants to the elderly.

The vice mayoral aspirant pointed out that Quezon City should extend recognition to its residents who live long and attain milestones in their life.

“It is truly a blessing to reach 70 years of age, contributing whatever you can to your community, more so if you live another decade or longer,” he stressed.

The Proposed Ordinance is co-authored by Councilor Carl Edgar Castelo of District 5 and Councilor Melencio Castelo Jr. of District 6.

The Defensor-Castelo Malayang Quezon City team has unveiled its P17-billion pandemic recovery roadmap that includes direct financial assistance to the poor and small businesses and improved pandemic responses.

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Ryan Ponce Pacpaco