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Sunday, January 19, 2025
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Sunday, January 19, 2025

Solons OK approval of bills on senior benefits

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The House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means has recommended for plenary approval several bills expanding the coverage of senior citizens’ benefits and privileges.

“Today, the House Committee on Ways and Means approved the unnumbered substitute bill to the Comprehensive Senior Citizens Benefit Act.   This is the culmination of months of work of the joint committees on Ways and Means, Senior Citizens, and Disability Affairs,” said the panel’s chair, Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda during the hearing Monday on the subject.

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“What the bill does is carve into the statutes the progress made by the joint committee, created at the direction of the Speaker,” Salceda added.

He said Congress will enact a measure institutionalizing  the removal of the requirement of the booklet for availment of senior discounts.

“I insisted that removal of the requirement of the booklet for availing of senior discounts be institutionalized in the proposed bill. That way, no future administrative issuance can take this progress away,” Salceda stated.

Similarly, he also pushed for huge toll discounts for senior citizens who use expressways. “I also recommended a P2000 tollway discount for senior citizens who use expressways. The capped discount ensures that seniors are able to avail of the benefit while protecting it from abuse,” Salceda stressed.

“Other benefits include applying the senior discount on TNVs like Grab and Angkas and increasing the water and power utility discount from five percent to 15 percent, and on those consuming 200kWh rather than just 100kWh.”

He added that “online sales will also be subject to the 20 percent senior citizens discount.”

He added businesses will also be able to use the cost of VAT discounts as a deduction from gross income.   “So that the cost of these discounts is shared between consumers and the government, rather than being merely passed on to consumers.”

“As a consensus bill backed by months’ worth of consultations, this should pass Congress even through the lameduck session, if it gets to that,” he said.

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