By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

A total of 20 centenarians in Negros Occidental have received a P100,000 tax-free cash gifts from the provincial government in 2023.

Data from the Provincial Social Welfare Development Office (PSWDO) revealed that the 20 centenarians are from the cities of Kabankalan, Cadiz, Talisay, Sagay, La Carlota, Bago, Silay, and San Carlos, as well as the municipalities of La Castellana, Ilog, Cauayan, Pontevedra, and San Enrique.

Eleven eligible centenarians are slated to receive cash gifts this year.

PSWDO head Chiqui Gonzales said there were challenges in validating some centenarians due to lack of documents.

Some did not possess birth certificates to prove their age had exceeded 100 years.

Gonzales further stated that if a birth certificate for the centenarian’s ancestor is unavailable, secondary documents, such as baptismal records and medical records containing parental names and other information can be used as the basis.

The PSWDO clarified that centenarian validation is conducted by each local government units (LGUs).

The information gathered will be endorsed to the provincial government for the verification of age and the documents submitted.

Aside from the province, three LGUs in Negros Occidental — Sagay, Cadiz and San Carlos — will also provide cash gifts for their qualified centenarians this year./DGB, WDJ