President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed two laws seen to be benefiting the senior citizens and local products.
Marcos had a ceremonial signing of Amendments to the Centenarian Act (Republic Act No. 11982) and the Tatak Pinoy Act (Republic Act No. 11981) at the Ceremonial Hall inside Malacañang Palace.
Present during the signing were lawmakers from both chambers, led by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, were present during the ceremonial signing of the laws.
''Each of these laws encapsulates the merits that the Bagong Pilipinas upholds to rebuild a stronger nation. For example, the Tatak Pinoy Act is about investing in Filipino competence and talent — that genius and gift must be supported not by exhortation alone but by true, tangible support,'' Marcos said in his speech.
''It is about creating products and services of the highest quality because 'Tatak Pinoy' is also about excellence, and as a seal of great workmanship, it must only be applied to those that meet these high standards, and as such, we shall give preference and priority to our products,'' he added.
Under the Tatak Pinoy Act, it aims to strengthen the collaboration between government agencies and the private sector.
This is to boost the Philippine products and services.
It aims to formulate policies and programs that will diversify the productive capabilities of local enterprises and increase the country's economic potentials.
Senator Sonny Angara, the principal author of the law, noted that under the new law, industries will receive the support for the expansion and upgrading of their operations to make them more competitive in both global and domestic markets.
“Ang isa pa sa hangarin natin sa pagsulong ng Tatak Pinoy ay ang pataasin ang kita ng mga Pilipino dito sa sarili nilang bansa. Habang lumalaki ang kita ng mga negosyo ay umuunlad din ang ating ekonomiya at dahil dito ay inaaasahan natin na mas gaganda din ang buhay ng ating mga kababayan,” Angara said in a statement.
Meanwhile, under the Amendments to the Centenarian Act, there will be additional cash benefits for elderly Filipinos.
It will be recalled that in Republic Act 10868, all Filipinos, whether residing in the Philippines or abroad, are entitled to a P100,000 cash gift upon reaching the age of 100 years old.
In the recently signed law all Filipinos reaching the ages of 80, 85, 90, and 95 shall receive a cash gift amounting to P10,000.
''The clamor of older persons/senior citizens and the general public to extend or expand the benefits and privileges to those milestone years apart from those reaching 100 years old as centenarians, were heard and now being realized for the enjoyment of our beloved older persons,'' the NCSC said.
