00:00 There will be a centralized database if the Senior Citizen Discount Booklet is removed.
00:05 We will discuss this with the National Commission of Senior Citizens Chairperson,
00:10 Attorney Franklin Quijano.
00:12 Attorney Quijano, good afternoon.
00:15 Good afternoon, Nina.
00:17 Good afternoon to all the listeners and viewers.
00:21 This is Chief. I am with Nina Corpuz.
00:24 Good afternoon.
00:26 Before we discuss the details, can you share with us the importance of the Senior Citizen Booklet in availing discounts?
00:35 Well, thank you very much.
00:37 The booklet is in accordance with the law and IRR of Republic Act 9994.
00:44 If that's the case, we want to remove it.
00:47 Actually, personally, I really want to remove it because the booklet is not serving a purpose anymore.
00:55 Sometimes, Senior Citizens do not enjoy the booklet because they leave it at home and they don't present it.
01:03 Sometimes, it's so unwieldy.
01:07 Of course, the booklet also needs a few pages of paper.
01:12 If there are 12 million Senior Citizens, can you imagine how many trees will be cut?
01:20 The paper comes from the trees. That's the practical reason why the booklet should be removed.
01:29 But it is in accordance with the law that the booklet is needed because it needs a monitor and database.
01:39 I was looking at a centralized database where all the merchants can share their data.
01:52 The government should be able to provide storage where all users can know if the medicine they bought is insufficient or too much.
02:08 It should be correct based on the recipe and based on the consumption of the Senior Citizens.
02:15 I hope that we will also be able to develop fast the database.
02:22 Because it is in accordance with the law, the booklet is needed.
02:29 If we want to remove it, we need a law that defines all the ways where the recording, the treatment of transactions,
02:48 not only the Senior Citizens, but also the people who were counted as Senior Citizens.
02:55 So attorney, in your centralized database, what are the details that you can share with us?
03:06 What will be the difference in the booklet that our Senior Citizens are already used to?
03:13 Actually, if we talk about the one that is already used to, that's better.
03:18 Because one problem, even if it's already used and forgotten, you cannot avail the 20 percent discount.
03:25 I think all the seniors are already used to removing the booklet.
03:30 But if you remove it just for that reason, then you have to amend the law.
03:35 If you amend the law, you will be questioned because we are a government which brings organizing.
03:43 We organize all transactions. So what will be the substitute of the law?
03:48 What I see, even if it's not a booklet, all merchants can share how much they bought, etc.
03:58 It's important because there's a threshold that is given.
04:03 In fact, the threshold of buying groceries is not justified,
04:11 which requires a booklet. But the maximum limit is only P1,300.
04:16 Senior Citizens are now complaining because that P1,300 is calculated in the 2010 reference.
04:25 In 2010, P1,300 is enough to buy a sack of rice.
04:30 But this year, if you have P1,300, you might not be able to buy half of the rice, so it will be less than 25 kilos.
04:43 So what we see, I hope there are mechanisms based on the standards set by Congress because the law needs to do a next decision.
04:56 I hope that our Congress will also help us prepare.
05:02 Of course, we are studying this and we see that with the help of DICT, a centralized database will really address the issue.
05:11 That's right. Maybe this is related to the digitalization that our government is doing.
05:17 Yes.
05:18 But there are some businessmen who are not in favor of removing the booklet system
05:23 because they will have a hard time monitoring discounted purchases.
05:27 What can you say about this Atty.
05:30 If these businessmen are prepared to digitalize, it will be easier to monitor.
05:39 Because on data sharing, for example, on a medicine, if data sharing is available, you will know how many you bought this month and what is the basis of that purchase.
05:58 Is there a receipt? If it's over-the-counter, will it exceed the 30-day consumption?
06:06 Okay. Atty., what are the complaints you receive about the booklet that is the reason why senior citizens are not receiving discounts?
06:18 What are the complaints they usually receive about this?
06:23 First of all, the booklet is required under the law.
06:28 So if you go to a boutique or a grocery or a mall and you don't bring a booklet for medicine or groceries,
06:40 usually, you will be denied because you didn't bring a booklet.
06:45 There are some pharmaceutical companies that made their own program.
06:50 With that, they seem confident because they know the consumption and it's like they are already a vegetable, right?
06:59 So they will know what the consumption is.
07:02 The stores and merchants there are not asking for a booklet because they are confident with their clients.
07:10 But the stores, grocery stores and pharmacies that are looking for a booklet, you cannot deny because that is the requirement of the law.
07:22 For me, the booklet should be removed because it's unwieldy and you cannot claim a 20 percent discount if you don't have a booklet.
07:37 In the Congress, we heard a complaint that some seniors bought over-the-counter drugs beyond the number.
07:49 It means, of course, it is their conclusion that they did business.
07:56 That is a violation of what is defined by the law because the benefit of 20 percent discount is individual and personal for senior citizens only.
08:08 It cannot be done as a business.
08:10 So the law is clear, the requirement is clear and the safeguards made by the law are clear. Those who do not want to observe 20 percent discount,
08:22 if he is a merchant, he is liable to two to six penalty imprisonment or 50,000 to 100,000 fines.
08:39 Of course, even senior citizens who abused, there is a penalty clause.
08:46 So from all the looks of it, the law has already provided certain safeguards.
08:53 The question is, if you remove the booklet, how can the safeguards be maintained?
08:59 That's why the resistance of the businessmen is coming out because the safeguards are lost if there's no recording system.
09:07 That's why my explanation is, then the substitute for the recording system is the mandate of our President that all transactions should be digitalized.
09:19 That means all the offices of government should work together so that we will be able to set up a centralized database system.
09:29 In other talks, the DSWD has already started the distribution of the expected pension for indigent senior citizens. How was the distribution?
09:41 Well I think it's not difficult for that event because it was only 250. It was a ceremonial distribution.
09:55 But we have to understand that the deserving social pension is P4,080,000 and there's a wait list of P400,000.
10:10 So this is a big challenge and unfortunately, the law says it will be transferred from DSWD to NCSE.
10:20 That's why in this fight, we are really preparing hard on how we can make a law that is not difficult to distribute to social pension
10:31 that has a lot of beneficiaries and is of great importance, that should be distributed to all beneficiaries, indigent senior citizens,
10:43 those who are frantically with disability and with no visible means of support.
10:49 As a last question, Atty. maybe you have a message to our senior citizens who are watching us now.
11:00 Well, it's an important message to all seniors. I hope this is the beginning of the year.
11:06 We need to talk about our lives, we need to be healthy. The government has given us a blessing,
11:18 a blessing that we will have a free annual regular medical checkup. That is through the consulta program of the PhilHealth.
11:30 PhilHealth has been given a discount last year and this year, according to my knowledge.
11:38 If all senior citizens use this, all families will be happy because they know the health status of their senior citizens.
11:49 Of course, they know how to handle themselves. They need exercise, diet and maintenance medicine.
11:58 Local government units will also be guided. What will be the free maintenance medicine given to senior citizens?
12:07 All right. Thank you very much, Atty. Franklin Pijano, the chairperson of the National Commission of Senior Citizens.
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