December 23rd, 2024
House Ways and Means Chair Joey Sarte Salceda (Albay, 2nd district) issued the following statement regarding the issuance of DOH AO No. 2024-0017, which removed the requirement of presenting a Senior Citizen’s Booklet when availing of medicine discounts for seniors.
“Byebye booklet. I thank the DOH for making permanent the change we requested in the House’s joint committee hearings on senior citizens’, PWD, and solo parents’ benefits. It’s a long overdue change. Salamat PBBM and salamat, Secretary Ted Herbosa.”
“During the House hearings, it was brought up that the booklet requirement often causes senior citizens to get denied essential medicines. Senior citizens often forget these documents, or lose them.”
“The 20 percent medicine discount, along with the VAT-free treatment for a significant number of medicines, has been a lifesaver for many senior citizens.”
“The January to March 2024 hearings of the House on senior and PWD discounts remains one of its most productive undertakings ever. We obtained at least P112 billion in benefits for these sectors, without even changing any laws yet. The removal of the booklet requirement is one of its major accomplishments.”
“It was Speaker Romualdez’s idea to bring the committees together and make things right for seniors and persons with disabilities.”
“Those hearings accomplished so much. We were able to get Starbucks to do a 40 percent discount to compensate for misapplication of the standard discount. We got Grab and Angkas to improve ease of access to SC (senior citizens) and PWD discounts. We got Meralco (Manila Electric Company) to make applying for the discount on electric bills easier. We got Philhealth to expand benefits packages for PWDs. We got senior eligibility for TUPAD.”
“We got DTI (Department of Trade and Industry), DA (Department of Agriculture), and DOE (Department of Energy) to expand the SC and PWD discount on basic goods from P260 a month to P500 a month.”
“The House will continue this approach of critical collaboration with the executive department. It gets things done for the people.”