House of Representatives Approves Bills to Increase Discounts for Senior Citizens and PWDs
Lawmakers in the country have made strides in improving the lives of the elderly and persons with disabilities by passing three bills that will provide additional discounts for them. The bills were approved after a two-month inquiry aimed at addressing the gaps and confusion in the distribution of benefits under the law.
During the final hearing presided by Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, the House joint committee on senior citizens and on ways and means approved the substitute bills to House Bill (HB) Nos. 10061, 10062, and 10063. These bills aim to expand discounts to promotional items and services.
One key provision in the bills is that senior citizens and PWDs will now receive discounts even on promotional prices. They will also benefit from a 20-percent discount and value-added tax (VAT) exemption on parking fees. Additionally, a 15-percent discount on water and electricity will be provided, with conditions on monthly consumption limits.
Furthermore, HB 10063 seeks to integrate senior citizen and PWD cards and other services in the eGov PH Super App, a government portal for transactions.
In addition to the bills, other milestones were achieved by the joint committee, including an expansion of senior citizen and PWD discounts on basic goods from P260 to P500 a month. This came after cooperation with the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Agriculture, and Department of Energy.
The efforts to increase compliance and expand benefits are expected to result in as much as P112.6 billion in more benefits for seniors and PWDs this year alone.
Lawmakers identified gaps in the implementation of existing laws meant to provide benefits to seniors and PWDs, leading to the drafting of new legislation to address these issues. Measures were also taken to address violations by various establishments and improve the application process for discounts.
Overall, the legislative actions aim to make life more comfortable for senior citizens and PWDs and ensure they receive the benefits they are entitled to.
