DO you know your rights as a senior citizen?
To help elderly persons know their rights and privileges under the law, retail giant SM Supermalls is embarking on a nationwide information dissemination on the provisions of the Expanded Senior Citizens Act under Republic Act (RA) 9994.
Lawyer Romulo Macalintal has been chosen by SM Supermalls to be its senior citizens’ ambassador to disseminate the rights and privileges of senior citizens in all its malls all over the country.
Romulo, who graced the Pamaskong Handog program of SM Supermalls recently, said some 80 percent of senior citizens in the Philippines are not aware of their full rights and benefits under the Senior Citizens Act and its expanded version.
“As a result, many are denied the rights and privileges due them,” Macalintal said, noting that one of the glaring misconceptions is the need to present a senior citizens’ card to avail themselves of the discounts and privileges.
Citing paragraph (c), Art. 5.5, Rule 3 of the law’s Implementing Rules and Regulations, Macalintal said the Expanded Senior Citizens Act provides that a senior citizen may use any government-issued identification documents indicating a senior citizen’s birth date and age to avail themselves of the benefits under the law. These include their voter’s, Social Security System or Government Service Insurance System IDs, he said.
He said SM will also hand out the Pilipino version of the senior citizens law to mall tenants and their clients to enable them to better understand the law.
“SM had asked me to translate the law into Filipino for better understanding. It is SM’s way of reaching out to more senior citizens and making sure all its tenants give them according to the full provisions of the law,” he said.
During the Pamaskong Handog event, around 1,000 senior citizens from all over Metro Manila were treated to a show featuring the Tiongco Brothers. Raffle prizes and other giveways were also given to the attendees. Danny Chavez, Program Director for SM Cares Committee on Senior Citizen, said the event is their way of thanking senior citizens for their years of service to the country and their respective families.
“Senior citizens have always occupied a special place in all of SM’s operations. We hold various activities for them in all our malls and this is just one way of feting them this Christmas season,” he said.