Elders urges proper implem of Seniors Citizens law

By ALDWIN QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — Office for Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) of Baguio City chairman Leopoldo Escao appealed to business establishments and other concerned groups and individuals to respect and uphold the proper interpretation of Republic Act 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.

Escao said this act seeks to grant additional benefits and privileges to senior citizens. RA 9994 was signed on June 18, 2010 amending Republic Act no. 7432, as amended, otherwise known as “an act to maximize the contribution of senior citizens to nation building, grant benefits and special privileges and for other purposes”.

The senior citizen chairman also made a plea that their privilege to avail of 20% discount as stated by RA 9994 on covered items and services be respected. He said this during a press briefing on the issue of senior citizen discount and the purpose of senior citizen ID. This was organized by OSCA with representatives of the Baguio Association of Restaurants (BAR).

According to Rosebowl resturant owner Lourdes Nang, the activity is to clarify issues on discounts given to senior citizens. This she said is in connection with an incident last month where election lawyer Romulo Macalintal threatened to sue two restaurants in Metro manila for denying him and his wife a 20% discount on their bills after presenting his driver’s license instead of an OSCA issued ID card. The lawyer used as basis the provision of RA 7432 where a passport or any document that establishes that the senior citizen is a citizen of the Republic and is at least sixty (60) years of age.

But Liza Balao of the Office of the City Social Welfare and Development Officer (OCSWDO) said an OSCA ID issued by the head of OSCA is required according to the RA 9994 to avail of benefits and privileges as provided by the law. She said they cannot use other IDs such as driver’s license or postal IDs.

Nang said that this is easily accepted by ordinary and simple people. She stressed that the people who are difficult to satisfy are the elite who claim to know the law. She said they are not denying the elderly of their privilege being given 20% discounts provided they will present their valid OSCA IDs.

Balao explained that the 20% discount are only applicable to Filipino citizens and not to foreigner citizens.

Meanwhile, Escaño noted complaints their office are receiving regarding some establishments and businesses not honoring the 20% SC discount. He said they have listed complaints mainly pointing of two drug stores in Baguio City that do not respect OSCA IDs. The elderly said they already sent a letter to the managers of the pharmacies to meet with them for an explanation. # nordis.net