HOUSE Deputy Majority Leader Erwin Tulfo wants to remove booklet as a requirement for senior citizens to avail of their 20 percent discount for their purchase, saying it is useless and additional burden for senior citizens.
Tulfo aired his sentiments during the resumption of hearing of the Committee of Ways and Means chaired by Albay Rep. Joey Salceda on the moto propio inquiry into the implementation and policies that provide discounts, incentives and tax exemptions for senior citizens and person with disabilities (PWDs).
“I think we have to go away with the booklet because this is useless,” Tulfo told the committee members and other resource persons.
“Pangalawa sir, this is an insult to all the senior citizens kasi parang tinitingnan ng mga merchants ng mga business establishment na mga manloloko ang mga senior citizen natin kaya they have to own a booklet. Hindi pa ba enough yung kanilang mga senior citizen ID. The mere fact na mayroon silang senior citizen IDs it identifies them as a senior citizen,” Tulfo added.
To get discount, senior citizen must bring their senior citizen ID and purchase booklet when they shop in supermarkets, convenience stores and drug stores.
Tulfo cited that majority of the senior citizen tend to forget their booklet and they were not given discount by business establishments.
“Mayroon ngang nai-issue na booklet pero hindi nila nadadala because of the “senior moments” that is the problem pagdating nila ng cashier sasabihin na kailangan ng booklet. So yung kawawang senior citizen iiwan yung pinamili niya kasi kailangan niyang balikan pa,” Tulfo, of the ACT-CIS partylist explained.
“Pangalawa yung laging duda, na niloloko kami ng matanda na ito na baka ibinebenta (yung binili nila). Will it close your business kapag may isang senior citizen na niloko kayo, hindi naman po di ba?,” the lawmaker added.
Tulfo also said that he personally witnessed several times that some senior citizens were not given discounts because they forgot to bring their booklets.
“Nagmamakaawa siya, and I’ve been a witness to that sa isang grocery store walang booklet ang pobreng senior citizen and sabi five percent lang ho yan P65 lang. This is full of crap, kailangan po siguro nating i-review itong law, once and for all. Kasi parang namamalimos ang mga senior citizen,” Tulfo averred.
Rep. Milagros Aquino-Magsaysay, of United Senior Citizens partylist, agreed to Tulfo’s suggestion to abolish the booklet.
“I find it useless na ipakita ang booklet. Bakit pa kailangang ipakita kung ano purchase mo. Useless ang booklet,” the lady solon said.
For his part, Rep. Salceda who also agree with Tulfo’s manifestation to scrap the booklets for senior citizens, also manifested that Tulfo will be added as member of the technical working group (TWG) crafting a new law for senior citizens.
“I agree (with Cong. Erwin Tulfo), with that, we will increase the membership of the TWG crafting the new law on senior citizens and PWDs. Rep. Erwin can join anytime with the TWG that is writing the new law.
Meanwhile, Tulfo also echoed the suggestion of Marikina Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo to review and create a new policy for senior citizen discount regarding online delivery services and ride-hailing application.
“The law was passed more than 10 years ago. Naglabasan lamang itong mga Grab at mga hailing companies na ito during pandemic so hindi sila naisama sa batas natin.
So there is really something wrong with this law and we have to review this law,” Tulfo insisted.
