MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – In the Philippines, it literally pays to be 100 years old, but it doesn’t pay to be a nurse. Thanks to the brilliance of outgoing President NoyNoy Aquino.

On June 23, Aquino signed into law Republic Act 10868, granting a P100,000 cash incentive and other benefits and privileges to Filipinos who reach the age of 100.

The law, authored by Albay Representative Edcel Lagman, also provides that Filipino centenarians will receive a “letter of felicitation” from the president of the Philippines.

However, many believe that few will benefit from the law because of another proposed measure that Aquino vetoed recently.

Aquino vetoed a bill that would have raised the entry-level salaries of Filipino nurses.

Critics of the outgoing president said that it is unlikely that any Filipino will reach the age of 100 since there will be no nurses to take care of them in their twilight years. “The exodus of nurses will all the more increase in the coming years because of low salaries. And that is assuming they will not already have switched jobs from nursing to call center agents,” they said.