A BILL increasing the discount rate of senior citizens on utilities from five to ten percent was filed in the House of Representatives.
House Bill 5960, authored by Representative Go of Baguio City, seeks to grant senior citizens a ten percent discount on their monthly electric and water consumption provided that their electricity and water consumption does not exceed 100 kilowatt hours and 30 cubic meters respectively.
“The senior citizens are considered as one of the important sectors in the Philippine society. Most of the seniors who are working under the informal sectors are not covered by pensions and health care benefits,” Go stressed.
The measure will amend a provision of RA 9994 or the Senior Citizens Act of 2010 relative to the increase of the said grant on their monthly utility consumption. Provision of the law states that in order for the discount to be granted, individual meters of the utilities are registered in the name of the senior citizen residing therein.
“It remains a fact that this sector of society is having difficulties to keep up with the relatively rapid economic growth where prices of medicines, health, care, basic goods and commodities, and house utilities are constantly increasing through time. This discount increase as an additional relief is what our elderlies have been waiting for,” Go said.