3 PB members back bigger discounts for senior citizens

Three Provincial Board members are supporting the proposed bill of Cebu City South Rep. Antonio Cuenco that increases to 30 percent the 20 percent discount privileges presently enjoyed by senior citizens.

Provincial Board members Victoria Corominas, Juan Bolo and Jose Maria Gastardo, in a proposed resolution, said that there is a need to increase the present discount if “only to give a truly meaningful and substantial benefit to the elderly.”

Senior citizens are presently enjoying 20 percent discounts on medicines, restaurants, big pharmacies and transportation.

The bill is authored by Cebu City South District Rep. Antonio Cuenco in the Lower House and by Sen. Edgardo Angara in the Senate.

Also, the Supreme Court en banc has denied a petition of drugstore owners and operators to declare unconstitutional a provision in Republic Act 9257 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act, which grants a 20 percent discount on medicines.

Section 4 (a) of RA 9257 states that “senior citizens are entitled to 20 percent from all establishments relative to the utilization of transportation services, hotels and similar lodging establishments, restaurants and recreation centers and purchase of medicines anywhere in the country, the cost of which may be claimed by the private establishments concerned as tax credit.”

The SC said that RA 9257 is a legitimate exercise of police power aimed at protecting the welfare of senior citizens, who are those aged 60 and above.

The bill also grants “a five percent discount on gasoline, kerosene and other petroleum products provided the purchase would not exceed P1,000 a month.”

Other benefits include “the exemption from individual income taxes, training fees for socio-economic programs, free medical and dental services, diagnostic and laboratory fees but not limited to X-rays, CT scan and blood tests in all government facilities, subject to DOH guidelines.”

But just recently, Cuenco wants to increase the discount to 30 percent.

“With the spiraling prices of almost everything these days, the measure of Congressman Cuenco is a most welcome legislative initiative that could certainly help alleviate the plight of the aged,” the proposed resolution of three board members read.  — Garry B. Lao/BRP