TO ensure that senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWD) are not neglected, the House of Representatives through a joint panel, on Tuesday resumed its inquiry into the implementation gaps of the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons, the Expanded Senior Citizens Act, and other policies on their discounts, incentives, and tax exemptions.
The joint panel, consisting of the Committee on Ways and Means chaired by Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, Committee on Senior Citizens chaired by Senior Citizens Party-list Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes and the Special Committee on Persons with Disabilities chaired by Agusan del Sur Rep. Alfelito Bascug, continued getting inputs from establishments, which received complaints regarding these benefits and special privileges.
Lawyer Peng Juco, representing Goldilocks Bakeshop Inc., assured lawmakers that the company is fully compliant with the law. Juco said that, since cakes and pastries are not covered by the 20% discount, Goldilocks instead gives a 5% discount on slices and selected pastries.
Leyte Vice Governor Leonardo Javier Jr., founder of Andok’s, said the company also abide by the law, but it encounters individuals who tend to abuse such benefits.
ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo pushed for existing laws that were enacted more than decade ago to be updated to include other services such as on ride-hailing and food delivery applications.
Tulfo urged the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) to address complaints expeditiously and proposed that OSCA coordinate with their local Business Permits and Licensing Offices (BLPO) in reprimanding erring establishments.
Marikina City Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo, for her part, reiterated her plea to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to improve its system for more accurate monitoring of tax deductions arising from the availment of these discounts.
She also requested data from the PhilHealth on the current number of issued IDs to seniors, as well as a timetable on distributing all IDs to every senior citizen in the country.
Salceda said the panel will also study how incentives may also be offered to senior citizen doctors.
Meanwhile, a technical working group continues to fine-tune a bill that would address implementation gaps and improve the services to seniors and PWDs, based on the joint panel’s committee report.
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