With 177 affirmative votes and no negative vote, the House of Representatives has approved on the third and final reading Wednesday House Bill (HB) 11400, or the proposed “Act Expanding the Coverage of the Privileges and Benefits Given to Senior Citizens.”
HB 11400 serves as the substitute bill for 24 individual measures seeking either additional or expanded benefits for the elderly.
It further amends Republic Act (RA) 7432, as amended, entitled “An Act to Maximize the Contributions of Senior Citizens to Nation Building, Grant Benefits, and Special Privileges and for Other Purposes.”
“We Filipinos are known for having a respectful society, and this is rooted in the way we take care of our elders. As legislators, we always look for ways to make life easier and more comfortable for our countrymen who are in their golden years,” House Speaker Martin Romualdez said.
Among others, the bill amends Sec. 3 of the “Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010” by defining medicines, food supplements, private commercial establishments, and parking fees covered as benefits granted to senior citizens.
“It includes online, offline, direct or indirect, first or third-party medium on the 20 percent discount privilege in the purchase of medicines, food supplements and vitamins, health professional fees, golf and country clubs, transport network services, and toll fees on sky-ways, expressways of the senior citizens,” Romualdez said.
The measure likewise gives a 15 percent discount on the monthly utilization of electricity and water, provided that the monthly consumption does not exceed two hundred kilowatt hours (200 KwH) of electricity and fifty cubic meters (50 m³) of water.
“The billing statement must also be under the name of the senior citizen,” Romualdez said.
The bill also grants an 8.5 percent special discount on the purchase of basic necessities and prime commodities.
In addition, it allocates P25,000 to the nearest surviving relative of a deceased senior citizen. The amount shall be subject to adjustments due to inflation.
The measure also exempts senior citizens from the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program (UVVR or Color-Coding Scheme) if they are driving or on board the vehicle. However, they should be able to present any identification document proving they are senior citizens at the time of apprehension.
It also grants parking fee exemption to all senior citizens on board, or driving a vehicle that is privately owned, upon presentation of a valid senior citizen identification card in all commercial and government establishments that charge parking fees.
Moreover, in the purchase of goods and services on promotional discount, the senior citizen can avail of the promotional discount or the discount provided in the bill, whichever is higher.
