By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz
A lawmaker and several persons with disabilities (PWDs) groups on Tuesday urged President Aquino to sign into law a measure exempting PWDs from the 12-percent value-added tax (VAT) on certain goods and services.
This developed as the transport department launched new point-to-point bus units designed to ease the boarding of PWDs.
Joy Garcia, COO of the Tahanang Walang Hagdanan, in a news conference, said the proposed law is a big help to PWDs and their families, as the measure exempts PWDs from paying VAT on top of the 20-percent discount they are currently entitled to on certain goods and services.
“The measure will help PWDs who are facing financial difficulties. The PWDs also deserve to have these [tax] privileges, as we are not given the chance to work in the mainstream. So I am asking President Aquino to give us a chance,” she said.
State solicitor Jessica Magbanua, who is a PWD herself, said the tax privileges given to senior citizens should also be given to PWDs.
“[By signing this bill] it will show that the government recognizes the plight of PWDs,” said Magbanaua, who is a member of Consultative Advisory Group, Sub-Committee on Accessibility and Telecommunications of the National Council on Disability Affairs and board secretary of AKAP-Pinoy, a federation of organizations of and for PWDs in the Philippines.
According to the Census of Population and Housing, the Philippines has 3 million PWDs, or 3 percent of the country’s total population.
House Independent Bloc Leader and Lakas Rep. Martin Romualdez of Leyte, the main author of the lower chamber’s version of the measure, or House Bill (HB) 1039, said the House is now readying the measure’s transmittal to the Palace for the signature of President Aquino.
“I hope the President will not veto the PWD bill as what he did when he vetoed the SSS [Social Security System] pension-hike bill,” he said, adding, “Our PWDs are waiting for the measure to become a law because this would help their plight.”
“Granting PWDs the exemption from paying VAT on certain goods and services is one of the productive ways to help them and would surely help their living conditions,” Romualdez added.
The measure seeks to amend Section 32 of Republic Act (RA) 7277, or the Magna Carta for Persons with Disability, as amended by RA 9442.
The proposed VAT exemption shall apply on the medical and dental services; purchase of medicines in all drugstores; public railways, skyways and bus fare; admission fees charged by theaters, cinema houses, concert halls, circuses, carnivals and other places of culture, leisure and amusement; and all services in hotels and similar lodging establishments, restaurants and recreation centers.
It also allows a relative of a PWD up to the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity to claim a tax deduction of P25,000 in his annual income tax.
The proposed tax breaks for the handicapped would align these with the privileges senior citizens are getting under the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.
At present, under the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons, PWDs are entitled to a 20-percent discount on certain goods and services, such as medicines, hospital and laboratory works, hotel stay, local transport fares and theater admission.
The bill added funeral services and burial expenses to the list of assistance to be given to PWDs.
Meanwhile, the Department of Transportation and Communications has moved to make commuting easier for PWDs through the launch of new buses with modern tech such as a tap-and-go card payment system, free wireless Internet and onboard security cameras.
“PWDs, senior citizens and pregnant women will begin enjoying the convenience and comfort of this new class of city buses, which improve accessibility with low floors and foldable ramps. We are ridding our streets of dilapidated, poorly maintained and unsuitable buses,” Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio A. Abaya said on Thursday.
Other features of the new buses include: low floor height; hydraulic kneeling function to allow tilting toward the pavement; retractable or foldable boarding and alighting ramp; and global positioning system devices.
“Eventually, this will push all public-utility buses to modernize,” Abaya said.
Point-to-point buses were created last year under a department oder, which also stipulates that buses introduced under this category must also be compliant with Euro 4 emissions standards or better, or run on clean alternative fuels.
The service was conceived to cut travel time and provide convenient commutes, through fixed stops and schedules.
(With Lorenz S. Marasigan)
60 comments
Si Cong. Romualdez may malasakit sa kapwa. Sya ang kailangan naten sa bansa.
kung para sa progreso ng pamumuhay ng Pilipino asahan naten si Cong. Romualdez ang unang maaasahan
Spell MALASAKIT = R-O-M-U-A-L-D-E-Z
Pagmamalasakit ang susi sa tagumpay. Kaya naten to Cong. Romualdez
The kind of man we need to have a progressive country. Vote for Mr. Martin Romualdez.
This nation needs someone like Rep. Martin Romualdez. He is the man with a mission to make our country even better.
wla na silang kakayahan masyado sa buhay kaya dapat man na alisin na ang tax sa kanila salamat sa malasakit mo Cong. Martin
Salamat sa pag malasakit mo sa mga PWD’s Cong Martin
talagang nasa dugo nyo ang pagmalasakit Cong. Martin sna masa batas na yan para sa mga Pwd’s
Yan ang senador na kailangan namin. We will vote for Cong. Martin because we know there’s more projects and plans he can do for the country.
kailanman ang malaskit mo sa Pwd’s wlang humpay Cong. Martin
marami po talaga ang susuporta sainyong gagawin sir martin dahil laking tulong yan sa mga PWDs.
Kailangan natin ang mga tulad ni Cong. Romualdez na tunay na nagmamalasakit sa bayan. Sana ay maipasa ang bill na ito at maging batas na.
hindi ka namin iiwan Cong. Martin sa laban sna maipasa na yan bill para sa pwd slamat sa malasakit sa kanila
sana ay magkaroon ng malasakit si PNoy sa mga PWD at aprubahan ang bill na to bilang batas. Tiwala po kami sayo Sir Martin!
nag titiwala kami kay cong.romualdez dahil may malasakit, sainyo ang supporta namin
Buo ang suporta namin kay Cong. Romualdez at sa mga plano nya para sa bayan.
si cong.romualdez lang ang may malasakit sa atin at sinusopprtahan ko ang kayang kandidatura
We are happy to know that this has a big chance to be a law.. Sana ay maaprubahan ito ni pnoy..
ang may malasakit ang kailangan natin walang iba kundi si cong.romualdez
Kay Sir Martin Romualdez na tayo para may senador tayong may malasakit
sumusuporta kami kay cong.romualdez dahil alam namin na may malasakit sya sa atin at matutulungan pa tayo!
ganito ang may malasakit. Tiwala kami kay Cong. Romualdez
nagtitiwala kami kay cong.romualdez dahil sa malasakit nya marami ang matutulungan supportahan po natin sya
Full support for Congressman Romualdez all the way! Sana ay maaprubahan itong bill para sa mga PWD.
si cong.romualdez at ang malasakit nya para sa ating bayan ang mag papatunay na karapat dapat syang supportahan
ang malasakit ni cong.martin romualdez ang kailangan ng ating bayan at nating mga pilipino
yan ang kailangan natin yung may malasakit para sa mga kababayan natin suportahan si cong.romualdez
handa kami mag supporta sa may malasakit samin at sayo yun cong.romualdez
sainyo lang ang supporta namin dahil kayo lang ang may malasakit cong.romualdez
We hope that this HB 1039 be approved by our president for the benefit of the PWDs. We also support Cong. Romualdez for the plans he have under the slogan “Malasakit”.We know that he will be a good senator that can give voice to the poor and the needy.
kayo po cong martin romualdez ang susuportahan ko dahil kayo po ang karapat dapat sa ating bansa dahil kahit sa sinuman ang inyong malasakit.
kapag naaprubahan na ang HB 1039 tiyak marami pang susunod na batas na gagawin si Cong. Romualdez. #malasakit
we will pray to pass that bill for the pwd’s is a great help for them Thank you cong. Martin sa malasakit sa kanila
ang galing! no. 1 ka talaga sa puso namin at alam ko maaprubahan ang HB 1039. salamat sa walang sawang pagmamalasakit
sana maaprubahan na ang HB 1039. isa palang yan sa mga batas na nasa isip ng Cong. Romualdez. Idol!
alam ko sa huli ikaw padin ang magtatagumpay Cong. Romualdez dahil sa ginawa mo na batas na HB 1039. dabest!
wla kaming ibang hangad kundi manalo ka Cong. Martin para marami pa ang matutulungan mo..at sna ang HB pra sa pwd’s ay maaprobahan
great man talaga si cong. Martin ang kung mag malasakit sa tao ay sobrang sobra sna maipasa yan na bill
mas lalo ko pa kau nakilala cong martin dhl s pag mamalasakit mo s PWDs at mas lalo ko po kau susuportahan
yang ang iboboto ko s pag ka senador si cong. martin na. xa lang nmn ang may malasakit sa mga may kapansanan at sana maaprobahan ang hnhain nyang bill
HB 39 pra sa pwd’s na sinusulong ni Cong. Martin tiwala kami na aprob din yan sa andang huli..Cong Martin ang nagmamalasakit sa kanlia..
nangunguna na si cong. martin s mga iboboto ko n senador. lalo n ng ihain nya ang bill n para s PWDs sana mtanggap to para d n mag byad ng tax ang kbbyan ntn n may kapansanan ..
may malasakit s bayan ang kailngan ng mga tao ngayon at sana may malasakit dn ang gbyrno n ipasa ang batas nhinain ni Cong. martin romualdez
yan ang kailangan ng ating bansa si cong martin romualdez dahil tapat at maganda ang hangarin sa ating bansa at tunay kung magmalasakit.
Dito n ko kay Cong.Romualdez, siya lang ang na kitaan ko na may malasakit s mga may kapansanan sana maipasa n ang bill n to
yan ang karapat dapat para s senado si cong. martin romualdez, kht kailan ang pag mamalaskit para s PWDs ang una para s knya
buong bansa po cong martin romualdez ang mga humahanga po sainyo sa pagiging kilalang mapagmalasakit mo sa ating mamamayan,nagpapatunay lang po talaga na napakabuti po ninyo.
tudo po kayo kung magmalasakit sa ating bayan cong martin at sana po maaprobahan po ito upang mabigyan saya ang bawat PWDs sa ating bansa.
we support u all d way cong. martin romualdez ksama ang family ko sayo lang ang boto nmn..salamat s malasakit po..slamat s hinain m n bill n para s may kapansanan
sana po maaprobahan po yan na HB 1039 para sa mga PWDs para sa pagbabago ng ating bansa.
sigurado po ako cong martin na mapapasaya po ninyo ang mga PWDs dahil malaking tulong po ito para sa kanila sana po ay maisulong at maaprobahan po ito.
walang labis at walng kulang ang support ko para s inyo cong. romualdez..sana mapayagan s senado n maipasa ang batas para s mga may kapansanan, alam nmn ang walang hanggang pag mamalasakit m para s bayan..
sana po ay maisulong po ninyo cong martin at maaprobahan po ito para naman sa paguswag ng bawat mamamayan napakabuti mo po talaga.
pag aalis ng tax para s mga may kapansanan mas lalo ko hinangaan si cong. martin dhl s malasakit nya s bayan kaya sknya mappnta ang boto ko s pag ka senador.
tunay po kayong astig magmalasakit cong martin dahil sa pagmamahal po ninyo sa mga PWDs sila ay mabibigyang ngiti. sana po ay maaprobahan po ito agad.
. ang totoong may malasakit s bayan, yan si cong. martin romualdez at sana mag karoon dn ng malasakit ang gbyrno upang mapatupad ang batas n HB 1039 , para dn nmn to s mga kbabayan ntn n may kpansanan
sana maisulong po ito at maaprobahan dahil ito ang tunay na pagbabago ng ating bansa. tunay nga kayong magmalasakit.
the best po talaga kayo cong martin romualdez wala pong imposible sainyo dahil alam kong kaya mong isulong ang bawat bagay na ikatutulong ninyo sa ating bayan.
Dir Racella and Sec Gen. Marilyn Yap are delaying the transmittal to Malacanang presumably at the orders of N0ytard. Thy are doing this even thought the constitution is clear that once congress has passed it (which was last Dec. 15/16), the president only have 30 days to veto it, otherwise it becomes law. That 30 days (Jan. 14/15) has long lapsed!