SENATOR Loren Legarda wants to increase from the current 20 percent to 32 percent the automatic discount granted to senior citizens even as she moved to impose stiffer penalties on pharmacies that refuse to honor senior-citizen cards.

In a briefing after a public hearing Wednesday, Legarda reported that she filed Senate Bill 2154 to raise to 32 percent senior citizens discounts eroded by the imposition of the 12-percent expanded value-added tax-(E-VAT) on goods and services.

She added that SB 2154 also proposed other additional benefits, including providing seniors citizens free vaccines against influenza and other pneumococcal diseases.

Legarda added that the hearing also tackled Senate Bill 79 aimed at exempting senior citizens from the payment of real property taxes.

She confirmed that the committee will likewise determine the need for additional benefits and privileges to senior citizens as provided in the proposed measures, while evaluating the viability of the proposals.

The senator explained she is seeking to increase to 32 percent the discount afforded senior citizens after noting that the 12-percent E-VAT has substantially lessened the current 20-percent senior citizens’ discount.

Legarda lamented reports that some pharmacies have refused to honor senior citizens’ cards to deprive seniors of discounts, or have imposed additional requirements not provided in the law.

“An additional concern for most elderly is their frequent hospitalization due to their health condition, worsened by their vulnerability to contract diseases during their hospitalization,” she said in explaining why she is seeking free vaccination for seniors against diseases frequently contracted by them.

According to her, there are over 5.2 million elderly Filipinos all over the country (about 6.4 percent of the population), with the number expected to increase to 9.5 percent by 2020.

“We need to recognize our seniors by providing them government and private-sector help, as well as social protection, in their advanced age,” she added.

Other pending proposals up for consideration at the committee hearing are Senate Bill 851 granting a 20-percent discount to seniors on oil products like gasoline and LPG; Senate Bill 1657 which seeks to provide monthly monetary assistance to needy seniors; and Senate Bill 1676 aimed at helping seniors citizens with eyesight problems, among others.

BOCAUE, Bulacan—As speculations of rice shortage for the coming lean months of palay from June to September grow, commercial palay price has reached an all-time high of P21 per kilo.

CABANATUAN CITY—The National Food Authority (NFA) here will adopt a “color-coding” scheme to further organize the system in selling government-subsidized rice.

A LOCAL think tank said if the government is sincere in its efforts to cushion the ill effects of high inflation, it should consider removing the reformed value-added tax (R-VAT) on oil and power along with the implementation of other revenue measures to ease the burden of Filipino consumers.

SEN. Juan Ponce Enrile elicited the support of several government agencies and private-sector representatives behind an antitrust bill prohibiting monopolies and price manipulations.

THE regional wage boards in Central Luzon and Eastern Visayas have approved salary adjustments for their workers, bringing to five the number of wage boards that have ordered pay increases this month.

SENATOR Loren Legarda wants to increase from the current 20 percent to 32 percent the automatic discount granted to senior citizens even as she moved to impose stiffer penalties on pharmacies that refuse to honor senior-citizen cards.

THE back-to-school season is a stressful time for consumers—there’s tuition to take care of, uniforms to order, budgeting for daily allowance, and school supplies to purchase.