(COMPOSITE IMAGE: INQUIRER FILE / AFP PHOTOS)
MANILA, Philippines — The joint administrative order (JAO) raising the weekly senior citizen and persons with disability discount was signed by the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Department of Energy (DOE) on Thursday.
“The JAO operationalizes the initiative of Congress under House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez to raise the weekly discount to P125 from P65—or a total P500 per month. This consists of P260,” said the DA in a statement.
The agriculture department added that the discount could be used for basic commodities such as rice, fish, pork, poultry, meat and eggs, coffee, milk, condiments, other dairy products, cooking gas, and prime commodities like veterinary goods and certain construction materials.
“As a result of lifting the value maximum discount, the JAO also raised the total value of goods that could be purchased to P2,500 a week from P1,300 or P10,000 a month from P5,200,” said the DA.
According to the DA, the discount could be applied to farming tools such as fertilizers, and herbicides, pesticides, poultry, fishery and livestock feeds.
“Providing senior citizens and the differently-abled with additional discounts on agricultural products forms part of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s vision of providing Filipinos with affordable food and better nutrition,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. said.