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Senior citizens in Quezon City on November 18, 2019.  Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

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Senior citizens

Andrea Taguines

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA - The Department of Trade Industry (DTI) said it aims to implement by Monday, March 25, the additional discount for senior citizens and persons with disability when they buy grocery items.</p><p>This is after the agency published a new Joint Administrative Order which it signed along with the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Energy on Thursday.</p><p>Senior citizens and PWDs will then be able to avail of a P125 weekly discount on basic necessities and prime commodities from the current P65 cap.</p><p>“Napaka-importante nito dahil gusto nating mabigyan ng welfare yung mga senior citizen and PWD sa mga items na ‘di covered ng 20 percent senior citizen o PWD discount,” DTI Secretary Alfredo Pascual told the media.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/22/23/govt-urged-to-update-senior-citizen-perks-discounts">Gov&#x27;t urged to update senior citizen perks, discounts</a></div><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/3/5/more-offices-positions-approved-for-senior-citizens-agency-906">More offices, positions approved for senior citizens agency</a></div><p>(This is so important because we want to improve the welfare of senior citizens and PWDs. This covers the items that are not covered by the 20 percent senior citizen or PWD discount.)</p><p>Online purchases are also included in the new regulation.</p><p>“Hinayaan na po natin yung mga kanya-kanyang establishments mag-implement kung paano nila ive-verify ito, pero generally, ang rule kailangan i-present upon purchase or pipicturan yung ID or purchase booklet. Upon delivery of the goods, ipapakita rin to verify,” said DTI Assistant Secretary Amanda Nograles.</p><p>(We are allowing establishments to come up with their own ways to implement and verify the eligibility of a customer. But generally, the rule is that upon purchase, you take a picture of the ID and purchase booklet. Upon delivery of the goods, you also present them for verification.)</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/u94w-XjjYJg?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>Rona Castro, who is 61 years old, welcomed the increase in the discount since she has been struggling to cope with high inflation.</p><p>“Mas maganda kung ganun. Sa panahon kasi natin ngayon mahal ang mga bilihin. Lalo sa mga senior citizen, wala kaming mga hanapbuhay kundi umaasa lang kami sa bigay ng aming mga anak,” said Castro.</p><p>(It’s better that way. Because in this day and age, basic goods have become so expensive, especially for senior citizens. We no longer have jobs, we just rely on the money that our children give us.)</p><p>The National Council on Disability Affairs said the increased discount will also help to families with PWD members as they are already burdened with a higher cost of living.</p><p>“Some of them would have extra costs for medications, therapy. And therapy is expensive and therapy is not a one-time thing. Marami yang sessions. So, of course, nagpapatong-patong ‘to kaya nga kahit middle income family, minsan, mabigat pa rin,” said NCDA Programs Management Division Chief Atty. Rhea Ramos.</p><p>(Some would need many therapy sessions. Taking into consideration all these costs, sometimes even middle-income families have a hard time.)</p><p>To avail of the discount, DTI Assistant Secretary Amanda Nograles said customers should buy at least four different items from the approved list.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Bb5U8G5DYaw?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>“Hindi mo pwedeng ubusin yung P125 sa sardinas, sa iisang item, dapat apat. Yun yung para ma-monitor natin na talagang personal use lang talaga siya,” noted Nograles.</p><p>(You can’t use up the entire P125 discount on just a can of sardines, one just one item, it should be four. That’s so we can monitor and make sure that these purchases are only for personal use.)</p><p>The new administrative order also specified that some products have to be locally produced or manufactured to be covered by the bigger discount. These include bread, meats, fresh vegetables, coffee, canned meats and canned fish, dairy products, vinegar, fish sauce, soy sauce, laundry soap and charcoal.</p><p>But the DA clarified that imported rice is still covered by the discount, except for imported specialty rice.</p><p>To make sure that the discount is not abused, the DTI also said that authorization letters used by representatives of senior citizens and PWDs when making purchases will only be valid for seven days.</p><p>The Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets Association said safeguards such as this are necessary.</p><p>“Kasi yung iba letter nila gutay-gutay na, three years na, ginagamit pa rin. We don’t know kung buhay pa yung real owner of the card,” said association president Steven Cua.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2dstV-v7KV4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>(Because other letters are already torn up, are three years old, but are still being used. We don’t even know if the real owner of the card is still alive.)</p><p>But Cua said the DTI was not able to address their main issue with the new policy, which is why retailers have to shoulder the cost of the increased discount.</p><p>“For sure magtataas ang presyo ng mga bilihin. (For sure, this will increase the prices of goods.) I told them this is not a threat but it’s a fact that we will probably have to increase our margins to stay afloat. How will we pay the right salaries and right taxes, diba?</p><p>The DTI explained that it cannot just simply heed the demand of retailers to make the discount a tax-deductible or a tax credit. </p><p>“‘Yun ang kailangan ng batas at pag-uusapan siguro sa Kongreso. Meron yatang pending bill along that line,” said Pascual.</p><p>(There needs to be a law for that so Congress has to discuss the issue. I think there is a pending bill along that line).</p><p>Cua, however, was not satisfied with this explanation.</p><p>“It doesn’t sound very encouraging for us. (It’s like saying) bahala ang Congress, bahala kayong retailers, kami, we’re looking good,” he said.</p><p>The DTI also added that Barangay Micro Business Enterprises and small farmers cooperatives, like those selling their produce at Kadiwa stores are not obligated to comply with the discount policy as they already tend to sell their products at lower prices.</p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>Senior citizens and PWDs will then be able to avail of a P125 weekly discount on basic necessities and prime commodities from the current P65 cap.</p>

Senior citizens and PWDs will then be able to avail of a P125 weekly discount on basic necessities and prime commodities from the current P65 cap.

DTI eyes bigger grocery discount for senior citizens, PWDs by March 25

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DTI eyes bigger grocery discount for senior citizens, PWDs by March 25

Andrea Taguines,

ABS-CBN News

Published Mar 21, 2024 06:26 PM PHT

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senior citizen discount

PWD discount

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Department of Agriculture

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