Push Admin

Solons flag int'l coffee shop, online stores for 'limiting' senior, PWD discount

Article (news)

RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Participants navigate an unpaved road as advocates for inclusive mobility conduct an accessibility walkthrough with local officials and community organizers in Brgy. Milagrosa in Quezon City on July 24, 2022, in line with the observance of the 44th National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/business/08/02/20220726-pwd-accessibility-walkthrough-md-19.jpg"/><figcaption>Participants navigate an unpaved road as advocates for inclusive mobility conduct an accessibility walkthrough with local officials and community organizers in Brgy. Milagrosa in Quezon City on July 24, 2022, in line with the observance of the 44th National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA (UPDATE) — The local licensee of coffee shop chain Starbucks apologized Wednesday for what it claimed was the erroneous signage that limited the grant of senior citizen, person with disability (PWD) and other government-mandated discounts to just one food item and one beverage per visit.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><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></li></ul>Angela Cole, operations director of Starbucks Philippines, faced a joint hearing of the House Committees on Ways and Means and Senior Citizens and Persons with a Disabilities, where lawmakers confronted her with a sample of the signage.&quot;We fully acknowledge the error in the signage,&quot; Cole told lawmakers.&quot;We remain steadfast in extending privileges as intended. Allow me to share to be assured with everyone here, Starbucks has always, has always and will continue to extend full discount privileges to the senior citizen for their personal use and enjoyment of our honored and valued senior citizen and PWD customers,&quot; she added.Cole said the signage &quot;was not properly worded.&quot; &quot;We are taking full accountability and acknowledge the mistake and we are really disappointed at the confusion that we had caused because of the erroneous signage,&quot; she said.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/multimedia/video/10/07/23/alamin-ano-ang-mga-benepisyong-kaakibat-ng-pwd-id">ALAMIN: Ano ang mga benepisyong kaakibat ng PWD ID?</a></li></ul>She told lawmakers that the signage was immediately removed and the guideline was never followed.House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro called out Starbucks for even having the signage.&quot;Bakit niyo naman ginawa &#x27;yun, anong rationale naglagay kayo ng ganiyan? &#x27;Di pwede sabihin niyo lang tatanggalin namin &#x27;yan,&quot; Castro said.&quot;Actually ang mahal-mahal nga talaga ng kape niyo, tapos &#x27;yung ating senior citizen ayaw niyo pa bigyan ng discount?&quot; she added.Cole said it was meant to be a response to their employees.<div>FREE CROISSANT?</div>Ways and Means committee chair Rep. Joey Salceda then asked Rustan Coffee Corp., the local licensee of Starbucks, to treat senior citizens and PWDs with one croissant and one drink to &quot;atone&quot; for its &quot;erroneous&quot; signage. &quot;Hindi puwede yun na walang penalty. Sabi ko kailangan mag-declare sila ng PWD and Senior Citizen day... Otherwise it&#x27;s already a violation, we will proceed with a case against Rustan&#x27;s Coffee Corporation,&quot; Salceda added.,&quot; Salceda told the media after the hearing.&quot;Hindi ako titigil hangga&#x27;t di niyo pinagsisihan yan. Otherwise we&#x27;d just have to go through with the natural process, which really is to prosecute Rustan&#x27;s Coffee Corporation,&quot; he added.Cole, however, was tentative in her response to Salceda&#x27;s threat.&quot;I don&#x27;t know about the libre, but we will be more than happy to extend the discount that is rightfully to value our senior citizen and PWD customers,&quot; Cole said.<div>ONLINE PLATFORMS</div>Meanwhile, Salceda also lamented the absence of a mechanism for the discounts to be availed online in some shopping platforms, an observation shared by Bulacan Rep. Salvador Pleyto.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/08/02/22/dti-extends-senior-and-pwd-discounts-to-online-buys">DTI extends senior citizen and PWD discounts to online purchases</a></li></ul>&quot;Bakit po &#x27;pag online booking wala pong option ang application ng senior citizen at PWD discount? Kung sakali po na nag-online booking at di applied, maaari po ba ma-claim ang discount in person?&quot; Pleyto asked.Salceda said he wants shopping apps to have a feature that identifies PWDs and senior citizens in order to simplify the granting of discounts.&quot;Yes, there has to be a button on all apps which identifies the PWD [or senior],&quot; Salceda said.Pleyto also flagged establishments that supposedly cited ongoing promos for not granting the discounts. Lawyer and advocate Romulo Macalintal also pointed out the same. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/08/22/senior-citizen-at-56-lawmakers-public-give-reactions">Bill to lower age of senior citizens to 56 draws mixed reactions</a></li></ul>However, Salceda pointed to a flawed law.&quot;Problema we wrote it differently. We need remedial measure,&quot; he said. Senior Citizens Party List Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes also revealed that some establishments implement a purchase quota per week that shrink the coverage of the discounts.&quot;As revealed during this morning’s hearing, there have been many illegal and unkind ways businesses have resorted to avoid giving the 20 percent discount,&quot; Ordanes said.The House hearing was called to address gaps in the implementation of the discounts.

Rep. Joey Salceda also lamented the absence of a mechanism for discounts to be availed online in some shopping platforms. 

Solons flag int'l coffee shop, online stores for 'limiting' senior, PWD discount

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

News

Solons flag int'l coffee shop, online stores for 'limiting' senior, PWD discount

RG Cruz,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jan 17, 2024 12:19 PM PHT

|

Updated Jan 17, 2024 05:35 PM PHT

Read More:

House of Representatives

House

PWD

senior

senior citizen

PWD discount

perks

Starbucks

ANC

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.