Makati Mayor Abby Binay has bared that the city government has paid a total of P30.3 million to its five partner-cinemas for free movie tickets issued to its senior citizens and persons with disability (PWD) from January to September this year.
To date, some 82,286 senior citizens and 9,336 registered PWDs of Makati are entitled to unlimited free entrance to cinemas located in the city, which is one of the most popular perks provided by the city government.
The mayor noted the “priceless joys” derived by the beneficiaries of the program, which continue to make it a worthwhile investment for the city and its partners in the private sector.
“Being able to watch movies as often as they want helps keep their minds active and their hearts young. It also allows them to spend precious bonding moments with family members and friends, which contribute to their overall sense of well-being,” Mayor Abby said.
The elderly and PWD Makatizens can watch free movies at any of the cinema-partners in Glorietta and Greenbelt, Century Mall, Power Plant Mall, Cash and Carry, and WalterMart.
In a recent report to Mayor Abby, Makati City Hall Accounting Department Officer in Charge William Dayrit stated that the city paid a total of P30.3 million to five cinema partners for movie tickets issued for free to both sectors from January to September this year. Of this, P27.9 million was for senior citizens and P2.4 million was for PWDs.
The amounts constitute the 25-percent share of the city government in the cost of movie tickets used under the program, which is being implemented in partnership with cinema owners in the city.
The free movies benefit for the elderly started in 1997 with the passage of City Ordinance 97-085, appropriating P500,000 as the 25-percent share of the city in cinema admission costs for senior citizens.
The program was institutionalized three years later through City Ordinance 2001-035 granting the inclusion of appropriations in the annual City Executive Budget for its continuous implementation in succeeding years.
In 2006 the perk was also granted to registered PWDs of Makati through the enactment of City Ordinance 2006-066.
For 2018 the city government has allocated P40 million for the movie tickets of senior citizens and P4 million for PWD.