Pasig to hotel: Explain disregard of senior discount or face closure

INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Pasig on Wednesday ordered a hotel in the city to explain why the local government should not issue a cease and desist order after it denied a 20-percent discount to a senior citizen.

INQUIRER.net will withhold the name of the establishment and its hotel management until it gets the side of the hotel company.

In a letter dated Jan. 16, the city government’s Business Permit and Licensing Department gave the hotel management three days — upon receipt of the letter — to explain why a closure order should not be issued against the establishment.

“Accordingly, [the hotel management] is given three days from receipt hereof to explain why no Cease and Desist Order and/or Closure Order should be issued against the company, and why the Business Permit and Licensing Department should not recommend to the Office of the City Mayor the denial of your application for renewal or the cancellation or the revocation of your business registration with the City Government of Pasig,” the letter read.

This developed after a senior citizen in November 2023 filed a petition to revoke the hotel’s permit to operate.

Melinda Rada filed the petition after the hotel denied her senior citizen discount under Section 4a (7) of the Expanded Seniors Citizens Act.

READ: Romualdez seeks probe into cases of denied discounts for seniors, PWDs

According to Rada, upon checkout from the hotel, she asked for her 12 percent value-added tax exemption and 20 percent discount as a senior citizen as guaranteed under Republic Act 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.

READ: Lawyer calls prompt probe into senior, PWD discount violations

But the hotel refused to grant her the discounts, claiming the rate was on “promo” without evidence that it had clearance from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

It was then discovered through the Pasig’s Prosecutor Office that the said “promo” had no clearance from the DTI, which is in violation of Article 116 of RA 7394, or the Consumer Act of the Philippines.

This resulted in the Pasig City Prosecutors Office filing criminal cases against the President and Finance Director of the hotel which is now pending before the Pasig City Metropolitan Trial Court.