Marcos signs Tatak Pinoy, Expanded Centenarians laws

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. on Monday signed two laws benefitting Filipino elderly and local products.

The ceremonial signing of Amendments to the Centenarian Act (Republic Act No. 11982) and the Tatak Pinoy Act (Republic Act No. 11981) took place at the Ceremonial Hall inside Malacañang Palace.

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.

The Tatak Pinoy Act intends to strengthen the collaboration between government agencies and the private sector to boost Philippine products and services.

Under the law, a Tatak Pinoy Council will 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, said 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.

He said that big and small industries would be encouraged to innovate to produce higher value products that are sought after by bigger markets and will result in greater incomes for them.

“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.

(One of our goals in pushing for Tatak Pinoy is to increase the income of Filipinos here in our country. While businesses increase their profits, our economy also improves. Because of that we expect the livelihoods of Filipinos to get better too.)

Meanwhile, under the Amendments to the Centenarian Act, additional cash benefits for elderly Filipinos will be given. 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 said law recognizes the celebrator's longevity for living a healthy and active lifestyle, according to the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC). 

''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.

Marcos said the elderly deserve more than cash in an envelope. 

In a statement over the weekend, Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. said the new law aims to provide cash benefits for Filipino elders at an earlier age so that they would get to enjoy it more.

Meanwhile, Marcos was also supposed to sign the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers, but according to Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Cheloy Garafil, the measure is still under further review. She did not elaborate.  —KBK, GMA Integrated News