The Makati City government on Wednesday named five women as the first batch of centenarian awardees this year, bringing to 39 the total number of centenarians awarded during the administration of Mayor Abigail Binay.
The new centenarian awardees under the city’s Blu Card Program were Pelagia Cadorna Banguis, a resident of San Antonio Village; Yia So Pua, of Forbes Park; Rufina Rojas Saldana, of San Lorenzo Village; Milagros Delgado Enage, of Barangay Urdaneta, and Pilar Moreno Valte, of Barangay Poblacion.
Both Banguis and Pua celebrated their 100th birthdays last October, and are members of the Blu Card Program since June 26, 2003 and Nov. 26, 2007, respectively. Saldana’s 100th natal day was celebrated last November, and she registered as a Blu Card member since Feb. 22, 2007.
Valte and Enage, who celebrated their centenaries last September, were members of the program since Nov. 14, 2003 and Feb. 28, 2008, respectively.
Mayor Binay and Vice Mayor Monique Lagdameo personally visited the awardees in their residences and honored each of them with a P100,000 cash gift and a plaque of recognition.
“I will always be grateful for the chance to meet our centenarian Makatizens and be able to share some time with them. It is an honor to show them the city’s grateful appreciation for all their contributions to our progress,” said Mayor Binay.
Makati City’s initiative to award P100,000 check to centenarians came before the enactment of the 2016 national law granting cash gifts to Filipino centenarians.
To date, a total of 64 Makati City centenarians have received the P100,000 cash gift. Of the number, 39 were honored under the present administration.
City Ordinance No. 2012-099 entitles Makati senior citizens who are Blu Card holders to a one-time P100,000 cash gift upon reaching 100 years old. It serves as a tribute to their significant contributions and role in the history and development of the city.
Last year, the city allocated a total of P331.7 million for the cash gift to senior citizens and centenarians under the Blu Card Program.
