Palawan solon seeks additional 10% discount for senior citizens

MANILA, Philippines – A lawmaker pushes for an additional 10 percent discount for elderly persons, making the senior citizen discount from the current 20 percent to 30 percent.

In explaining his proposed measure, Palawan 2nd district Representative Frederick Abueg said the current senior citizen discount is not enough to provide for the basic needs of the country’s elderly.

Abueg filed House Bill (HB) 4664, which seeks to provide senior citizens with 30 percent discount on the sale of goods and services from all establishments and will be exempted from value-added tax (VAT).

HB 4664 aims to amend Republic Act 7432, as amended, which is known as “An Act to Maximize the Contribution of Senior Citizens to Nation Building, Grant Benefits and Special Privileges and for Other Purposes.”

Abueg stated that the bill will aid the elderly population as they tend to rely on their pensions or discounts provided by the government as they do not have a steady source of income.

“Without a steady source of income or a stable job, our senior citizens only rely on their pensions, gifts or allowances given by relatives and sometimes, by their own pagsusumikap (to make ends meet),” Abueg said in a press statement.

According to the 2010 National Statistical Coordinating Board report, there are 6.3 million elderly Filipinos aged 60 and above, constituting 6.9 percent of the population in the country.

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