Free movies back for Makati City seniors

MANILA, Philippines — Makati City on Thursday officially resumed the free movies privilege for senior citizens after it was suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Mayor Abby Binay led the program’s relaunch for seniors who are Blu card members and Makatizen Virtual Card holders at Glorietta 4.

“The past years have been challenging for everyone, particularly our senior citizens who were among the most vulnerable during the health crisis,” said Binay in a statement.

“By reinstating this initiative, we aim to provide them with a much-needed avenue for entertainment, joy, and social engagement,” she added.

With this, the elderly can now watch movies again for free in Glorietta, Greenbelt, and Circuit Makati, three times a day for the first and second screenings. 

Senior citizens only need to download their Makatizen Virtual Card at https://mymakatizencard.ph/virtualcard, which will contain QR codes to be scanned as they avail themselves of free cinema tickets. 

Meanwhile, Binay said that the city also plans to include persons with disabilities (PWDs) in the program in 2023 and expand the number of cinema partners that will offer free screenings to eligible citizens.

Besides the complimentary tickets, Binay also announced that all Blu Card holders will receive their mid-year cash gift in June.

Under the Blu Card program, registered senior citizens aged 60 to 69 will receive a P3,000 cash gift distributed in two equal installments.

gsg/abc