A 100-year-old resident of Barangay Poblacion 3 in E. B. Magalona, Negros Occidental received a cash award of P100,000 from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) under the Republic Act 10866 or the Centenarians Act of 2016.
Maria Salahog-Alegre, who turned 100 on Feb. 9 this year, received the cash award and a letter of felicitation from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., delivered by the DSWD personnel at her residence on Wednesday.
Turning over the cash award and delivering the President’s felicitation letter were DSWD-6 project development officer and centenarian focal person Doyien Layson, municipal social welfare and development officer Emy Lyn Hibionada, and DSWD special disbursing officer Ma. Eloisa Gracia, village chief Rolando Banasig, and E. B. Magalona Federation of Senior Citizens Association of the Philippines president Wellie Gervacio.
“At 100 years old, Lola Maria is an inspiring testament to resilience and longevity,” Hibionada said.
Alegre is a native of E. B. Magalona. Now a widow, she receives a monthly United States (US) Veterans pension.
She got married at the age of 16 to Melquiades Alegre, a member of the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) – a military formation active from 1941 to 1946 – but got widowed a year later when her husband died in World War II. They had no children.
Alegre is now being taken cared of by her niece, Cecilma Salahog, who lives with her.
In an interview conducted by Hibionada for an assessment report, Cecilma said they will set aside a portion of the cash award for Alegre’s memorial plan.
Hibionada said Alegre is also set to receive another P100,000 cash award from the provincial government of Negros Occidental, a statement from the E.B. Magalona Public Information Office said. ||
