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BY HERBERT VEGO
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No to abolition of senior citizens’ privileges
ADDING insult to injury! This was the phrase that shaped out in my mind on reading the intention of the Department of Finance (DOF) to prevail upon Congress to pass a “tax reform” law scrapping discount and value-added-tax (VAT) exemption privileges being enjoyed by senior citizens. Finance Undersecretary Karl Kendrick Chua justified the proposal, citing a World Bank report estimating leakages from VAT exemptions for seniors to hit P10 billion this year.
“A much better option that would effectively provide aid to our indigent seniors,” stressed DOF spokesperson Paola Alvarez, “are targeted cash transfers, expanded pensions, free rice and other subsidies.”
Que horror! Haven’t we been losing much, much more from the questionable “4Ps” dole-out program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development?
Fortunately, no congressman or senator has sounded off conformity to the proposal. What could be more politically incorrect than losing the support of the senior citizens and their loved ones?
Incidentally, this column is belatedly written in remembrance of the Elderly Filipino Week, which is celebrated every first seven days of October in honor of the nation’s senior citizens or people 60 years old and above — pursuant to Proclamation No. 479 signed by President Fidel Ramos on September 26, 1994
We seniors belong to the most vulnerable sector of society. More often than not, we suffer from physical aberrations that force us to spend beyond our means. Some of us have degenerated into “has-beens” – an unkind way of describing people who were important and respectable in the past, but now no longer.
Truth to tell, it was precisely to protect the seniors that the government created the Office for Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA), which has offices in all cities and municipalities to attend to their needs. Under the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010, an OSCA identification card is all we need to enjoy 20 percent discount in hotels, restaurants, transportation fares, medicines, movies and other entertainment acts on top of the 12 percent value-added tax exemptions. We are also now entitled to free PhilHealth coverage.
A special provision in the law provides that the seniors should enjoy “free medical, dental, diagnostic and laboratory services in all government facilities.” Unfortunately, this provision is often violated by government hospitals – speaking from personal experience.
By order of the Bangko Central ng Pilipinas, banks are mandated to prioritize serving ID-bearing senior citizens.
Shopping malls have priority lanes for seniors and persons with disability.
There are local government units that offer P100,000 to senior citizens hitting the age of 100. That sounds funny. Can we even name ten living Filipino centenarians? Anyway, let that be real incentive for the old to reach that elusive age.
It’s on the record of the Philippine Statistics Authority: Senior citizens comprise 6.4 million or only 6.8% of the Philippine population.
Being no longer wage earners and surviving only on meager pension or nothing at all, most seniors naturally depend on their children or close relatives to take good care of them. However, we don’t really relish the sight of our children and relatives spending much time and money for us. The children have their own children to feed, shelter, clothe and educate.
The only “final obligation” the senior citizens want of their children is to give them a decent burial when the inevitable comes.
It behooves us senior citizens, therefore, to strive to stay healthy and productive as long as possible. Ask the retired-but-not-tired employees what keeps them going. They would tell you it’s by engaging in productive activities like going into business, raising livestock or planting backyard camote.
Reading this, you know I still eke a living writing. This job has kept me alive since 1970. Love it!/PN
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