RA 9994 amended the previous laws providing various benefits to senior citizens.
Important Things to remember:
1. The law took effect on 22 April 2010.
2. All Filipino residents who are 60 years old and above are entitled to the benefits and privileges granted by this law.
3. Senior citizens are entitled to the following:
a. discount privileges
b. free services
c. exemptions
d. incentives
e. government financial assistance
f. priority in express lanes
4. The discount privileges (mentioned in 3a above) include:
a. 20% discount on the purchase of certain goods and services,
b. special 5% discount on prime commodities and basic necessities,
c. 5% utility discount on electric and water consumption, and
d. 50% discount on electric, water and telephone consumption of senior citizens centers and residential or group homes.
5. The 20% discount (mentioned in 4a above) is applicable only to the following:
a. the purchase of medicines, including the purchase of influenza and pneumococcal vaccines, and such other essential medical supplies, accessories and equipment;
b. the professional fees of attending physician/s in all private hospitals, medical facilities, outpatient clinics and home health care services;
c. 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;
d. 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);
e. 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);
f. actual transportation fare for domestic air transport services and sea shipping vessels and the like, based on the actual fare and advanced booking;
g. the utilization of services in hotels and similar lodging establishments, restaurants and recreation centers;
h. admission fees charged by theaters, cinema houses and concert halls, circuses, carnivals, and other similar places of culture, leisure and amusement; and
i. funeral and burial services for the death of senior citizens;
6. A senior citizen must present an ORIGINAL AND VALID senior citizens identification card issued by the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) in the city or municipality where he/she resides.
7. Senior citizens are entitled to the following free medical benefits:
a. medical and dental services, diagnostic and laboratory tests requested by the physician such as but not limited to X-rays, computerized tomography scans, and blood tests, including professional fees of attending doctors in all government hospitals, medical facilities, outpatient clinics, and home health care services.
b. free pneumoccocal and influenza vaccine for indigent senior citizens.
Complete text of the law can be found at:a. medical and dental services, diagnostic and laboratory tests requested by the physician such as but not limited to X-rays, computerized tomography scans, and blood tests, including professional fees of attending doctors in all government hospitals, medical facilities, outpatient clinics, and home health care services.
b. free pneumoccocal and influenza vaccine for indigent senior citizens.
8. Senior citizens are entitled to the following utility discounts:
a. 50% discount on electric, water and telephone consumption on senior citizens centers and residential/group homes as a form of "institutional support"
b. 5% discount on electric consumption not exceeding 100 kw/hrs and water consumption not exceeding 30 cubic meters for househols with senior citizens residing therein and under whose name the separate meters are registered.
9. There are two (2) new provisions in the law that will directly benefit senior citizens:
a) Monthly Social Pension of P500.00 to be given to indigent senior citizens;
b) Death Benefit Assistance of P2,000.00 to be given to the nearest surviving relative who cared for the deceased senior citizen until his/her death.
Expanded Senior Citizens Act on LawPhil
