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July 30, 2010
( AQUINO’S FIRST SONA. President Benigno Simeon Aquino III delivers his First State of the Nation Address (SONA) Monday (July 26) during the opening of the First Joint Regular Session of the 15th Congress at the Batasan Pambansa in Quezon City. Listening are (from left) Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte.)
MANILA – Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman said that the basic necessities and prime commodities are not covered by the 20 percent discount for senior citizens as provided for under Republic Act 9994 (also known as the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of
2010). Instead, these items are subject to special discount of five percent. Soliman said that basic necessities included rice, corn, bread, fresh, dried and canned fish and other marine products, fresh pork, beef and poultry, meat, fresh eggs, fresh and processed milk, fresh vegetables, root crops, coffee, cooking oil, salt, laundry soap and detergents.
While prime commodities include fresh fruits, flour, dried, processed and canned pork, beef and poultry, meat, dairy products not falling under basic necessities; noodles, onions, garlic; and all drugs not classified as essential drugs by the Department of Health (DOH) and other commodities that may be classified by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) according to Republic Act No. 7581 or The Price Act . Soliman said that special discounts may be availed of only in supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience and mini-convenience stores excluding sari-sari stores, wet market, “talipapa” and cooperatives. “Senior citizens should always bring their purchase booklet when buying the goods,” the DSWD chief said.
The booklet is distributed by the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) located in every city and municipality nationwide. A senior citizen who cannot personally purchase basic necessities and prime commodities may designate a representative to transact on his or her behalf.
The authorized representative is required to present a valid government– issued identification card, together with the OSCA-issued identification card of the senior citizen and an authorization letter. Soliman reiterated that the 20 percent discount is eligible on the purchase of medicines, including the purchase of influenza and pneumococcal vaccines, and such other essential medical supplies, accessories and equipment; the professional fees of attending physician/s in all private hospitals, medical facilities, outpatient clinics and home health care services; The professional fees of licensed professional health workers providing home health care services as endorsed by private hospitals or employed through home health care employment agencies; Medical and dental services, diagnostic and laboratory fees in all private hospitals, medical facilities, outpatient clinics, and home health care services, in accordance with the rules and regulations to be issued by the’ DOH, in coordination with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth); Actual fare for land transportation travel in public utility buses (PUBs), public utility jeepneys (PUJs), taxis, Asian utility vehicles (AUVs), shuttle services and public railways, including Light Rail Transit (LRT), Mass Rail Transit (MRT) , and Philippine National Railways (PNR); Actual transportation fare for domestic air transport services and sea shipping vessels and the like, based on the actual fare and advanced booking; The utilization of services in hotels and similar lodging establishments, restaurants (including food ordered for dine-in, take-out and delivery which are for exclusive consumption of the senior citizen); and recreation centers; Admission fees charged by theaters, cinema houses and concert halls, circuses, carnivals, and other similar places of culture, leisure and amusement; and Funeral and burial services for the death of senior citizens, excluding obituary publication and the purchase of the memorial lot.
“Clothes and gasoline are not covered by both 20 percent and five percent discounts,” Soliman said.