Wednesday, February 21, 2007 Councilors chorus out concern for elderly sector By Grace L. Plata
DAVAO City Councilors stood for separate privilege speeches, tackling only one issue -- the prevalent lack of implementation of discount privileges for senior citizens.
Councilor Danilo Dayangirang, who went first, said the common complaints reaching his office involve discounts in medicines for senior citizens.
Based on his sources, Dayanghirang said "unscrupulous" pharmacy owners and staff tell seniors that the medicine they require is not in stock when they present their senior's card only to find out it really is available when a regular consumer who will pay the exact price comes in and asks for it.
"We have to martial human resources in the City Government to apprehend and report violations on this law," Dayanghirang said.
Vice Mayor Luis C. Bonguyan commented that such allegation are true and agreed with the call for strict implementation, saying they can even cancel the business permits of violating establishments.
Councilor Leonardo Avila who is closely involved with the Office of the Senior Citizen Affairs (OSCA) said the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has already mandated jeepney operators and bus companies to give senior citizen discounts.
Avila added that OSCA facilitates the filing of cases against violators reported by the senior citizens but Avila agreed with Dayanghirang, saying there is truly a need to have additional support to help the senior citizens.
To address this need, Avila said, he is in the process of drafting the older person's ordinance of Davao City to uplift the life of the elderlies in Davao.
Meanwhile, Councilor Peter Laviña stood up on privilege to clarify that he is not against giving senior citizens special perks when he opposed the increase in medicine price discount from 12 to 32 percent as proposed by Senator Edgardo Angara.
Laviña said what he is really concerned about is the general public who may be made to pay for the discounts, as it is the practice of business to pass on whatever cost they incur to the unknowing public.
"If the government is truly serious about helping the senior citizens, it must do so out of its own pocket which is bursting with cash at the moment," Laviña said.
The government, according to Laviña, can very well afford to issue the seniors some vouchers that they can use to purchase medicine or avail of medical services as it has P35 billion from foreign debt savings and P62 billion savings from the re-enacted national budget.
