QUEZON City’s Office for Senior Citizens Affairs (Osca) warned violators of discount privileges for senior citizens that they can be charged and penalized if they continue to refuse to honor said benefits.
Osca has been receiving complaints from displeased senior citizens in the city in the past months, Rene Altuna, Osca legal officer, told the BusinessMirror.
About every day the office receives a phone call from irate seniors who report particular establishments that do not honor their discount benefits and privileges, he said.
Others personally come to the office bearing purchase receipts and incensed over the refusal of some business outfits to honor their discount privilege, he said.
Most of the complaints involve pharmacies, restaurants and medical- examination laboratories, Altuna said.
Under Republic Act (RA) 9994, known as the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010, the seniors are entitled to a 20-percent discount on dining, hotel accommodation, medicine, hospitalization and medical services.
Older citizens can use their Philippine Health Insurance Corp., alongside their 20-percent discount and 12-percent value-added-tax (VAT) exemption.
The law also requires establishments to give seniors a 5-percent discount on prime commodities and basic necessities, which are usually given by supermarket chains and bigger grocery stores.
RA 9994 also seeks to give seniors a 20-percent discount on grocery items.
The Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Agriculture, however, set the discount on prime commodities and basic necessities at 5 percent and the maximum discountable value of goods purchased per week should not exceed P1,300.
Goods and services covered by discount privileges is also exempted from the 12-percent VAT, Altuna said.
RA 9994 also gives seniors 5-percent discount on power and water bills if the account is in their name, provided that the monthly electricity consumption does not exceed 100 kilowatt per power and the water utility not more than 30 cubic meters.
The law also provides seniors with a 20-percent discount on public-utility vehicles, like jeepney, bus, taxi, train and airplanes for domestic flights. Establishments in the city honor the discount privileges on said goods and services, otherwise they are violating the law, Altuna said.
Violators can be imprisoned for not less than two years, but not more than six years, and fined for not less than P50, 000, but not more than P100,000, he added.
Altuna also warned senior citizens who abuse their benefits and privileges. Seniors who use their discount privileges for other people can be charged, imprisoned and fined, he said.
Image credits: OLIVER SAMSON
1 comment
JusT want to report the HUGE CART grocery in Zapote, Bacoor City, Cavite. Instead of imposing the 5% discount, only point five percent (.5%) lang ang discount nila. Owner is a Chinese. Please attend to this po. Thanks a lot.