Wednesday, July 11, 2007 DTI yet to receive order on Magna Carta for disabled persons By Joy Romares-Sevilla
A TRADE and industry development specialist, who also represents senior citizens in the regional council, said there is still no Administrative Order (AO) forwarded to their office regarding the giving of 20 percent discount in the purchase of medicines in all drugstores by persons with disability.
Paciente Cubillas, senior trade-industry development specialist of the Consumer Welfare and Trade Regulation Division (CWTRD) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Southern Mindanao, on Tuesday said the agency can only implement the law once they received the AO.
The law is the Republic Act (RA) 9442, which amends RA 7277, otherwise known as the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons. It provides disabled persons with at least 20 percent discount including the purchase of medicines.
"So far we have not received an AO for the implementation of the law," Cubillas told Sun.Star Davao, adding that what DTI-Southern Mindanao has is an AO dated April 2005 ordering the agency to give advisory to all drugstores in the region to give a 20-percent discount to senior citizens.
Cubillas said DTI-Southern Mindanao, on the other hand, is one of the government agencies which help these disabled persons to enhance their way of living, physical fitness, and their social well-being.
"As far as I know, DTI has yet to implement the law (RA 9442), but it helps disabled citizens in other ways," he said.
Cubillas also said senior citizens now do not only avail of 20 percent discount in the purchase of medicines, but they are also given a 5-percent discount in the purchase of basic necessities and prime commodities such as milk and others.
"All department stores and supermarkets here are aware of that privilege, may mga special lanes yan sila for the senior citizens, the privilege is not applicable dun sa mga talipapa (flea markets) at mga (and) sari-sari stores," Cubillas explained.
