THE Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs-Davao City (Osca-Davao City) revealed that they have been receiving several complaints from senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs) that several establishments in the city still deny them their discount benefit rights as stated in the law.
In a radio interview with Osca head, Pastor Luis Moran said that legal actions will be imposed once business establishments fail to comply with the mandatory benefits and privileges to these vulnerable sectors.
“Pag naay magreklamo, amoa gyud na silang pangitaan. Ipa-surveillance dayon namo. Padal-an og sulat kinsa ang tag-iya kay dili man pud pwede nato nga okay-okay lang. Daghan na’g complaints so far (When someone complains, we will ask them. We will do surveillance immediately. Send a letter to the owner because that is not right. There have been many complaints so far),” Moran said on Tuesday, January 23, 2024.
Based on a joint memorandum circular issued by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and other concerned national government agencies, senior citizens and PWDs are eligible to receive a 20-percent discount on medications, medical supplies, attending physician fees, transportation, hotels, restaurants, food, and drinks, as well as funeral and burial services,
They are also entitled five-percent discount when making phone and online purchases of basic commodities and necessities such as rice, bread, milk, water, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
This also includes veterinary products, poultry feeds, condiments, construction materials, batteries, electrical supplies, papers, soap, flour, fertilizer, pesticides, paper, and school supplies.
Under Section 7 of Republic Act 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010, any person who refuses to honor the senior citizen card issued by the government, which entitles privileges including discounts on purchases made by a senior citizen, may face imprisonment of not less than two years but not more than six years and a fine of not less than P50,000 but not exceeding P100,000 for first-time violators.
Currently, the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) said during a House Inquiry that their central office received around 5,700 complaints in the past two years.
“We received 5,711 complaints and broke down into almost 2,000 for the senior citizens' complaints on benefits as well as social pensions,” NCSC Chairperson Franklin Quijano said on January 23. DEF