Senior citizens comprise a bigger chunk of the Philippine population than you might expect. The Philippine Statistics Authority's 2020 Census of Population and Housing clearly shows the rise of the elderly demographic in the country. Senior citizens now constitute 8.5% of the household population.
Given that growing percentage—which translates to a total of roughly 9.22 million elderly folks in the country—it’s no surprise that the government has provided this group with many perks to enjoy.[1]
If your parents are already 60 years or older, it’s important to learn the different benefits and discounts they’re entitled to, at least in the city where you reside. So what are the benefits for senior citizens in the Philippines this 2023? Read on.
Benefits for Senior Citizens in the Philippines in 2023 Under the Law
Did you know that Filipino senior citizens who reach 100 years old receive a one-time ₱100,000 cash gift?
The Centenarians Act of 2016 (Republic Act No. 10868) mandates this cash incentive on top of other senior citizen discounts and benefits under the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010 (Republic Act No. 9994).
Also, indigent senior citizens receive a ₱1,000 monthly social pension—double the previous amount before Republic Act No. 11916 lapsed into law in July 2022. This social pension serves as additional financial assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for the poor and needy elders.[2]
In addition to these benefits and the mandatory PhilHealth coverage accorded to senior citizens by Republic Act No. 10645, you can also get each of your parents a health card to make sure they have access to the healthcare services they need.
Related reading:
- PhilHealth Benefits Guide for Regular and Voluntary Members
- How to Check If Your PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG Contributions are Posted
Senior Citizen Benefits in Metro Manila
From birthday cakes to health essentials and financial assistance, here is a list of senior citizen benefits and privileges in each city in Metro Manila, Philippines this 2023.
📍 Senior Citizen Benefits in Makati
Makati, known as one of the most generous cities for elders, gives its registered senior citizens royal treatment. It was one of the first cities to give free cakes to its seniors and exempt them from coding.
Those with an OSCA-issued ID (also called the White Card) get the usual 20% senior citizen discount on restaurants, hospitals, and other establishments.
The Blu Card, on the other hand, entitles residents to these additional Makati senior citizen benefits in 2023:
- One-time ₱100,000 cash gift on the senior's 100th birthday (if a Blu Card holder for at least five years) in addition to the cash award under the Centenarians Act, for a total of ₱200,000
- Annual cash gift ranging from ₱3,000 to ₱5,000 depending on age bracket (Note: Blu Card holders aged 90 and above can claim an annual cash gift of up to ₱10,000 if they’ve been a cardholder for at least five years. Eligible recipients exclude those who just turned 100 since they’ll already be receiving the additional ₱100,000 cash incentive from the Makati LGU.)
- Unlimited free movies at cinemas in Makati, including Greenbelt, Glorietta, Power Plant Mall, Century Mall, Waltermart, and Cash and Carry
- Birthday cakes and golden wedding anniversary cakes
- Free medicines and subsidized health care services
- Vehicle coding exemption in Makati, whether as drivers or passengers
- Free Lakbay Saya leisure tours (with free food and accommodation for provincial tours)
- Free admission to cultural and theatrical presentations
- Burial assistance to the family of a deceased Blu Card ID owner
📍 Senior Citizen Benefits in Quezon City
Quezon City is a great place for elders to live in. The local government financially supports projects that are beneficial to senior residents. Aside from that, it’s one of the cities that give extra senior citizen benefits to those aged 100 and above in addition to the mandatory ₱100,000 centenarian gift.
Here are other QC senior citizen benefits:
Benefits for Centenarians in Quezon City
- ₱1,000 cash gift on every succeeding birthday after the 100th
- ₱1,000 Christmas cash gift
- ₱1,000 monthly allowance
Benefits for All Other Senior Citizens in Quezon City
- Free movie admission for up to two films every Monday and Tuesday (from cinema opening until 5 p.m. only), for a total of 240 movies every year
- Transfer tax exemption when selling a senior's house and lot in Quezon City
- Funding from the city government for programs and activities proposed by senior citizen associations in barangays
- Free use of pay restrooms
- Free medical, dental, diagnostic, and laboratory services across all government hospitals and centers
- Free maintenance medicines from health centers
- Priority and free parking in private establishments
- ₱5,000 Death Benefit Welfare Assistance to the family of a deceased Quezon City OSCA ID owner[3]
📍 Senior Citizen Benefits in Manila
The Manila city government has a variety of benefits for its registered senior citizens:
- Free movies every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday at any cinema in Manila
- ₱800 birthday cash gift[4]
- Free maintenance medicines for diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, arthritis, and cough and colds
- Free medical services and laboratory tests (physical examination, endoscopy, cardiac stress test, etc.) in all hospitals and healthcare facilities in Manila
- Vehicle coding exemption in Manila, whether as drivers or passengers
- Free parking in all establishments
📍 Senior Citizen Benefits in Pasig
Residents can avail of these Pasig senior citizen benefits:
- Free movies at Robinsons Metro East
- Free hospitalization and free prescription medicines at the Pasig City General Hospital
- Free anti-pneumonia and anti-flu vaccines
- ₱500 monthly pension for unemployed Pasig residents aged 65 and above who have been living in the city for at least two years
- Financial incentives worth ₱10,000 and ₱20,000 for senior citizens aged 90 to 94 and 95-100, respectively[5]
- ₱3,000 year-end cash assistance for senior citizens who are certified registered voters for at least two years
- ₱5,000 burial assistance to the family of a deceased Pasig OSCA ID owner
📍 Senior Citizen Benefits in Taguig
Wondering where to get free hearing aids for senior citizens in the Philippines? Taguig residents can enjoy that and more:
- Free maintenance medicines for hypertension, asthma, and diabetes delivered to seniors' homes
- Free nursing services at home
- Birthday cash gifts ranging from ₱3,000 to ₱10,000 depending on their age bracket
- Free eye check-ups and prescription glasses
- Free access to assistive devices like wheelchairs, hearing aids, crutches, canes, walkers, and strollers
- Access to the Center for the Elderly, a first-of-its-kind five-story wellness hub that houses a therapy pool, a cinema, and a dialysis center, among other amenities to help improve Taguig senior citizens’ quality of life
- ₱100,000 cash gift on every succeeding birthday after the 100th (in excess of the mandatory one-time ₱100,000 cash gift from the national government)
📍 Senior Citizen Benefits in Parañaque
Instead of birthday cakes, senior citizens in Parañaque get free medical services on their birth month. As the city mayor puts it, senior citizens can "get annual executive check-ups" for their birthday.
Residents can enjoy these Parañaque senior citizen benefits:
- ₱1,000 birthday cash gift
- ₱2,000 Christmas cash gift for seniors aged 75 to 84 and ₱5,000 for those aged 85 and up
- Free medical check-ups and laboratory tests on their birth month
- Free movies every Monday and Tuesday at cinemas in Parañaque
- Burial assistance for beneficiaries of deceased senior citizens
- Cash incentives ranging from ₱10,000 to ₱50,000 depending on the age bracket[6]
- Access to the soon-to-be-built health and wellness centers for senior citizens
📍 Senior Citizen Benefits in Caloocan
At least 66,000 senior citizens in Caloocan can avail of the following benefits:
- Free movies every Monday (within the first three screenings only) at SM Center Sangandaan cinemas
- Birthday package
- Access to free wheelchairs, canes, and crutches
- Medical and laboratory assistance
- Cash gifts for centenarians
- Free livelihood seminars
- Free pneumococcal and anti-flu vaccines
📍 Senior Citizen Benefits in Mandaluyong
Elderly folks in the city get to enjoy the following Mandaluyong senior citizen benefits:
- ₱500 birthday cash gift for senior citizens aged 60 to 89
- ₱10,000 birthday cash gift for senior citizens aged 90 to 99 and 101 and above who have been living in the city for at least 30 years[7]
- Free movie pass across all malls in the city
- Free medicines and vitamins in public hospitals and city health centers
- Free eye check-ups and eyeglasses
- Free use of pay restrooms
📍 Senior Citizen Benefits in Muntinlupa
Here are the Muntinlupa senior citizen benefits that the 30,000 elderly people in the city can enjoy:
Benefits for Muntinlupa Care Card Plus Cardholders
- Free electronic jeepney rides
- Accidental death insurance
- Subsidy during confinement at Ospital ng Muntinlupa
Other Benefits for Senior Citizens in Muntinlupa
- Monetary allowance for octogenarians
- Monthly allowance ranging from ₱1,000 to ₱2,000 for senior citizens aged 90 and above depending on the age bracket
- Free health webinars
- Free medicines like aspirin, cotrimoxazole (for bacterial infections), and vitamin B complex
- Free pneumococcal and anti-flu vaccines
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📍 Senior Citizen Benefits in Marikina
Marikeños aged 60 and above get to enjoy the following Marikina senior citizen benefits:
- Free access to the Lifestyle Center & Rehabilitation Facility
- Free medical services, including physical therapy, dental and medical check-up, and elderly counseling
- Free maintenance medicines and vitamins
- ₱1,000 birthday cash gift for senior citizens from Marikina
- Access to the proposed OSCA Pavilion inside the compound of the Marikina Hotel (with swimming pool access)
📍 Senior Citizen Benefits in Las Piñas
If your parents live in Las Piñas, make sure they get the following Las Piñas senior citizen benefits:
- Free parking for the first three hours in all business establishments and offices (whether the senior citizen is a driver or passenger)[8]
- Free admission to SM Southmall, Robinsons Las Piñas, and Vista Mall Las Piñas cinemas every Monday and Tuesday
- Annual hospitalization support of up to ₱40,000
📍 Senior Citizen Benefits in Malabon
Wondering what perks your parents can get in Malabon? Below are some Malabon senior citizen benefits you should know about:
- Birthday gifts
- Free movie passes every Monday and Tuesday at Fisher Mall cinemas
- Free parking in private and public establishments for the first three hours
- Employment opportunities (e.g. Senior Patrollers)
- Routine home visitation to indigent and bedridden elders to identify medical and health needs
📍 Senior Citizen Benefits in Navotas
Make sure to let your parents know of these Navotas senior citizen benefits:
- ₱10,000 cash gift to residents aged 100 and up
- ₱500 birthday gift
- Free maintenance medicines (e.g. losartan, simvastatin, metformin, and amlodipine) delivered to seniors’ homes
- Free cinema admission at Fisher Mall Malabon
- Free pneumococcal and anti-flu vaccines
📍 Senior Citizen Benefits in Pasay
Here are the Pasay senior citizen benefits that your parents are entitled to:
- ₱1,500 birthday cash gift
- Free medical check-ups through the telemedicine system
- Free medicines
📍 Senior Citizen Benefits in San Juan
Here are some of the San Juan senior citizen benefits you should know about if you have parents aged 60 and up:
- Free parking on weekdays for the first three hours
- Free movie screening every Monday and Tuesday at Santolan Plaza, Promenade, and Theater Mall Greenhills cinemas
- Additional 5% water bill discount for elderly concessionaires
- Free pneumonia vaccine
📍 Senior Citizen Benefits in Valenzuela
Senior citizens in Valenzuela are treated to the following perks and benefits:
- ₱50,000 cash gift to centenarians
- Food packs and vitamins for centenarians
- Christmas gifts in kind (e.g., food packs)
- Free parking for the first three hours (initial rate) or first four hours (flat rate)
Senior Citizen Benefits in Other Philippine Cities
Here are some of the senior citizen benefits and privileges for Filipinos aged 60 and above in other major cities in the Philippines.
📍 Senior Citizen Benefits in Cebu
Living in the Queen City of the South? Here are the senior citizen benefits provided by your LGU:
- ₱1,000 monthly financial assistance, for a total of ₱12,000 per year for all Cebu residents, regardless of how long they’ve been residing in the city and if they’re registered voters or not
- ₱5,000 to ₱15,000 cash aid to senior citizens aged 80 to 99, depending on the age bracket
- ₱80,000 cash gift to centenarians
- Access to a portion of the Sugbo Chinese Heritage Museum, which will be converted into a senior citizens’ center complete with a ballroom dance floor and an elevator
- Free movies every Monday and Tuesday
- Free parking in public and private establishments
📍 Senior Citizen Benefits in Davao
If your parents reside in Davao, make sure they’re getting the benefits they’re entitled to:
- ₱1,500 annual social pension to offset the cost of maintenance medicines and other health-related expenses
- Free access to wheelchairs
- Free cataract screening every third Wednesday of the month
- Opportunity to join the annual Elderlympics competition
📍 Senior Citizen Benefits in Baguio
The Summer Capital of the Philippines takes care of its elderly population. Here are the perks and benefits available to senior citizens in the City of Pines:
- Free parking in public and private establishments
- Cash incentives ranging from ₱5,000 to ₱50,000 for senior citizens aged 65 to 100, depending on the age bracket
- Additional 10% discount on household utility bills like water and electricity
- Staggered release of cash gifts: ₱25,000 each at ages 85 and 90, ₱50,000 at age 95, and ₱100,000 at age 100
- Cash benefits to qualified senior citizens in the form of honorarium amounting to ₱40 per hour commensurate to the services rendered as determined by the OSCA
Benefits for Senior Citizens in the Philippines: FAQs
1. Who are considered senior citizens in the Philippines?
Under the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010, Filipinos aged sixty years old and above are considered senior citizens.
2. Who is eligible for the social senior citizen pension in the Philippines?
As mentioned above, indigent senior citizens are entitled to ₱1,000 monthly social pension. Indigent senior citizen refers to “any elderly who is frail, sickly or with disability, and without pension or permanent source of income, compensation or financial assistance from his or her relatives to support his or her basic needs, as determined by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in consultation with the National Coordinating and Monitoring Board.”[9]
Related reading: Got Enough for Retirement? SSS Pension Computation Made Easy
3. How to get a senior citizen ID in the Philippines?
Local government units (LGUs) all over the Philippines implement their own ordinances and programs that provide senior citizen benefits beyond the discounts required by national laws.
To avail of these senior citizen benefits, residents need to present a valid ID with their birthday, their senior citizen ID issued by the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA), or a special card issued by their respective LGUs.
To get an OSCA ID for your elderly parents, follow these steps:
- Bring your parents to your city or municipal hall to process their IDs in person.
- Ask for the OSCA ID application form. Fill it out with your parents’ information.
- Present the required documents:
- Accomplished application form
- Birth certificate or any public document that can prove the applicant’s age and Filipino citizenship
- One valid ID as proof of residency and/or two proofs of billing or mails under the applicant’s name
- Two pieces of the applicant’s latest 1x1 ID photo
- Wait for the OSCA ID/s to be released.
Your local OSCA officials might require other documents as they deem necessary.
Final Thoughts
The information here is based on the respective cities' official communications via their website and social networks as well as news reports. Other benefits for senior citizens in the Philippines may not be communicated to the public.
Also, some benefits change from time to time. It's best to contact your local OSCA to inquire about the benefits that your city or municipality provides for senior citizens.
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If the senior benefits and discounts above aren't enough to cover your parents' hospital visits or maintenance medicines, consider getting a personal loan. Compare your options and apply through Moneymax:
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Sources:
- [1] 2020 Census of Population and Housing: Age and Sex Distribution (Philippine Statistics Authority, 2022)
- [2] Bill seeking higher social pension for indigent elderly now a law (Inquirer.net, 2022)
- [3] Senior Citizen Benefits (Quezon City Government website, 2022)
- [4] Manila seniors get P800 yearly birthday gift under new ordinance (Rappler, 2019)
- [5] Local Government Assistance for Senior Citizens (Pasig City OSCA Facebook, 2022)
- [6] Parañaque City's senior citizens get early birthday and Christmas gifts (Manila Bulletin, 2021)
- [7] Mandaluyong passes ordinance granting cash incentive to senior citizens 90 years old and up (Manila Bulletin, 2022)
- [8] Las Piñas provides free parking for senior citizens, PWD (Las Piñas Government website, 2019)
- [9] Social pension for poor senior citizens increased to P1,000 monthly with new law (Business World Online, 2022)
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