- I first published a similar article to this one on my own PhilFAQS site back in2010, at the time the present administration took office.
- The revised rules for use of the Senior Citizen Card were one of the earliest pieces of legislation enacted by President Aquino.
- The abuse and misuse of the Senior Citizen program might (or might not) be an item of some interest in the current administration.
- This article is just a word to the wise.
This article will not be of interest to some of my younger readers. No problem, feel free to flit elsewhere, I bear no grudge.
But almost all of us are in one of two groups. Those who have already reached the “golden years” (like me) or those who hope to live long enough to be included … so perhaps this is of more general interest than you first thought it was.
Many also reading may have Filipino relatives age 60 or older, and you may find that some of what I write about here is very directly applicable.
Please note I am trying to eliminate all personal opinion here and present just the facts. None of this is “what I heard” or what “Joe down at the VFW told me”. I have a reference for every fact. If you disagree, fine, but please be sure to refer to the facts presented before you start spouting off about how you heard differently.
If I did make an error and you find it, I’d a appreciate an authoritative reference, but don’t take up a lot of time telling me what Tita Tone down at your local Senior Citizen off “told you”. She is not the law of the land.
The law has changed, significantly, in the past 6 or 8 years (at least three major revisions), so what you KNEW back in 2006 or 2007 (just as what I myself KNEW back in 2006 when I moved here, is mostly wrong in 2014.
Is There a Viable Senior Citizen Discount Program in the Philippines?
You bet. Among other benefits it covers:
- Purchase of medicines, including influenza and pneumococcal vaccines and other essential medical supplies, accessories and equipment; and
- Actual fare for land travel in public utility jeepneys, taxis, Asian utility vehicles and shuttle services.
Moreover, additional incentives and benefits are also granted to senior citizens, as follows:
- Free vaccination against influenza and pneumococcal disease for indigent senior citizens;
- Benefit assistance to the nearest kin of a deceased indigent senior citizen worth P2,000.
- Five percent (5%) discount on water and electric bills registered in the name of the senior citizen, provided that consumption is below 100 kilowatt-hours of electricity and 30 cubic meters of water a month; as well as
- Additional government assistance, i.e., social pension/monthly stipend of P500, mandatory PhilHealth coverage, and social safety assistance (food, medicines and financial assistance).
What Philippine Law Covers These Senior Citizen Benefits?
RA (Republic Act) 9994, know as The Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010
(This is the current law and is well worth reading for those of you with questions. Don’t worry, it’s less than 4 full pages, you won’t have to spend the whole day reading it)
Who is covered by this act?
Residents of the Philippines who are citizens of the Philippines who have attained the age of 60 years.
You can look the exact legal language up for yourself. I write the sentence above in a slightly different fashion that the original act to point out something important.
Only Philippine Citizens may legally use the discounts and other benefits covered by RA 9994.
I get questions more often than you might think regarding this question, and I see it discussed, sometimes Ad nauseam, in groups and forums of interest to foreigners living in the Philippines.
(oh, and by the way, if you are a former Filipino (as in living here under a 13(g) permanent visa, you are not a Filipino citizen for the purposes of this law, so the law does not cover you either.)
The language was written the way it is for a specific purpose … to distinctly define who is eligible … and there are a number of my foreigner friends, for example, who have long believed they were entitled to the senior discount privileges … and even some who already avail of them … but the new law is pretty specific. Only Philippine Citizens are covered.
Now that I have made myself undyingly (un)popular with the foreigner community, let me mention a little about how some of the confusion regarding this law, and its predecessors has come to pass:
How It Used To Be:
The First Senior Citizen Law:
In the early 90’s, the first law on senior citizens, RA 7432, was enacted to maximize the contribution of senior citizens to nation building and to grant them benefits and special privileges.
Among others, this law granted the senior citizens a 20% discount on purchases of essential goods and services.
Many of the official/semi-official writings I have seen on this law seem to be confusing about its applicability to permanent residents, as well as Philippine citizens … but the law itself says, specifically, that the Senior Citizen discount privileges and accompanying identification documentation is for Filipino Citizens only.
I don’t know how many of my readers might have been around the Philippines when RA 7432 was passed, but legally there was no confusion regarding citizenship. The Act clearly made the program available ONLY to Philippine citizens, so no real confusion.
Enter RA 9527 (and cue the confusion)
In 2003, RA 7432 was amended by RA 9257, otherwise known as the “Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2003,” which granted additional benefits and privileges to senior citizens.
There are also specific procedures in RA 9257 that allow government officials, such as barangay captains, to grant the issuance of the Senior Citizen ID to others, including foreigners, if they make specific and documented contributions to their local community.
Thus from 2003 until 2010 there WERE legal provisions for LGU (Local Government Officials) to issue Senior Citizen Discount Cards to foreigners who, in the LGU official’s opinion, basically, deserved them.
So there are a non-trivial number of non-Filipinos around today who have senior citizen cards which probably were issued legally at the time. This has lead to a LOT of confusion, because if you have such a card and some upstart, non-lawyer like me comes along an tells you you not only shouldn’t possess that card but that you might face jail or deportation for using it, I can well understand why thoughts of WTF come to mind.
Beware! The New Law is DIFFERENT!
However, if you bother to read it, you’ll note that there is no such provision in the most current law, RA 9994 … so no citizenship, no ID … seems to be the clear intent.
With every Philippine law comes what some would consider the “fine print”.
The IRR (Implementing Rules and Regulations). I believe there may yet be changes in the IRR for RA 9994, but here is a link to them as they are currently published.
If you don’t want to wade through the whole reference, you might at least want to read:
5.1 SENIOR CITIZEN OR ELDERLY – refers to any Filipino citizen who is a resident of the
Philippines, and who is sixty (60) years old or above. It may apply to senior citizens with “dual
citizenship” status provided they prove their Filipino citizenship and have at least six (6) months
residency in the Philippines.
I don’t know about you, but to me this is pretty clear that no “non-Filipino” is covered by the law.
You also might want to pay particular attention to Article 24, Sections 3 and Sections 4 of the referenced IRR.
… use of the Senior Citizen privilege by a person not entitled to use the privilege is punishable by a fine of not less than P50,000 and (If I were a lawyer, I would tell you why they chose the word ‘and” here and not the word “or” … but in layman’s terms, it likely means you are going to jail) a prison sentence of not less than six months. …
Now as you well know, I am not an attorney, but the words above seem pretty clear to me, even with no law degree or bar exam. Anyone out there care to offer an alternative explanation? (again, I mean something factual, not yet another “but I heard”.
In Addition to Jail:
However, as you’ve no doubt heard Ron Popeil (you don’t know Ron? Google is your friend) say, “But wait, there’s more!” The jail time and fines are in Section 3. Section 4 is short and sweet, and applies to most of us reading this:
“If the offender is an alien or a foreigner, he/she shall be deported immediately after service of sentence without further deportation proceedings”
Ouch! I don’t think a 20% discount on anything is worth that
Some Backup Information:
After I started writing, I ran across an official letter sent by the director of a large organization (with many foreigner members) here in the Philippines, asking for official policy on their former practice of issuing discount cards to foreigner members.
Here’s an excerpt from a March, 2011 letter from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the government agency who actually “owns” the Senior Citizen Discount program, in response to a letter from an executive here in the Philippines explicitly asking for an opinion on foreigners and balikbayans using the program. I think it reads pretty clear.
Is That Understandable?
Any English professors in the audience my differ with me,, but I find this pretty clear writing. Can you interpret that in any way to indicate there is a legal way for foreigners, or even non-resident Filipinos to avail of these discounts? I can’t.
So, now you know.
As a foreigner, or former Filipino you can not avail of the Senior Citizen Discount Program in the Philippines. You must be a Filipino and furthermore, you must be legally resident in the Philippines for 6 months to qualify for the card. Things change over the years, they may change again … but the law of the land today seems pretty clear.
But What If I Already Have a Card?
If I had a card, as a foreigner, I’d burn it … I can’t see how the promise of an occasional discount can be worth the very real risk of a substantial fine, a mandatory jail sentence and then mandatory deportation.
However, this is the Internet, so YMMV … but you can’t say Dave didn’t warn you.
I have several friends, who are not Philippine citizens, that have senior cards. They use them frequently for dining and the savings can be substantial as they not only get a 20% discount but don’t have to pay the VAT. They continue to use them despite my warnings about the potential consequences. So far, they’ve been lucky and not been caught but I can foresee the day when they attempt to use the card and are witnessed by a government official and the troubles begin. Or, they might unintentionally anger one or more of the staff at the restaurant who will report them.
I turned 60 last year and was told that I could get a card for a few thousand pesos but I declined since I wasn’t willing to risk the severe consequences.
Ineed. To me it’s not worth it to get 20% off a bucket of chicken. These guys might continue to use the card for a long period of time .. to me, I don’t care … I sleep better by following the law. For anyone else, well YMMV.
YMMV??? Dave, your turning Filipino!
YMMV is a very common internet abbreviation used all over the world.
Really? Sorry, it’s the first time I’v seen it! Doesn’t mean anything to me!
It means… YMMV – Your Mileage May vary
Thanks Bob. Never too old to learn!
Yes, Gary Beaudean, I think that there is potential trouble on the horizon. The law is very clear. I think most foreigners who do have the discount cards just don’t realize, and when you try to warn them they simply don’t think that you know what you are talking about. To me, it just is not worth the risk! I like living here, and want to continue to do so! Also, jail time is does not really fit in with my plans! 😉
Good advice from Dave. In particular, if you do have one, you may well want to take his advice with regard to burning it.
Why?
Imagine a scenario where it is in someone’s best interest for you to leave the Philippines. Reporting you for using the card might be a very good way to accomplish that feat.
Dave
Thanks for clearing that up. It’s another 10 years before I would have been able to think about it but now I won’t bother.
Of course they other way is to get your wife, when she is 60+, to pay for everything!
Tom
The scenario that you quote is probably the worst a foreigner could experience here. It might not be your immediate family but perhaps someone who is jealous of your wife’s situation having married a foreigner and her “wealth”. It wouldn’t take much to provoke a reaction.
The biggest risk, to my way of thinking, is if you have moved to the PHI lock stock and barrel and then get deported where would you live? Could you ever afford to move back to your home country? Scarey!
Cheers
AJ UK
PS – I love the Sunday morning radio in the PHI………….so relaxing!!
One scary sentence I read in your comment, AJ. This is my own personal opinion, of course, but it you are thinking of moving to the Philippines WITHOUT sufficient funds (or an income) to move back to your home country? DON’T!!
Not only does this put you in harms way should your desires and needs in life change, but it will sour your entire experience from day one in the Philippines. “The Sweetness Of Low Price Seldom Survives The Sourness Of Poor Quality.”
Viewing every misfortune and unpleasant event that occurs (and they are sure to occur, for all of us) as if you are “trapped” here by financial circumstances.will pull your spirits down dramatically. Also, remember that a huge percentage of people who “make the move” here do not even last one year. It can readily be more than a person bargained for.
A lot of people don’t like this advice. But that’s OK, at least they can’t say that I haven’t warned them.
Either Save Money for a nest egg before you come, or do something, location independent to Earn Some. First.
To those who say “I can’t” my response is, learn the difference between “Can’t” and “Won’t” … because you always “can”, if you “will”.
I have the card and in the past have used it and received some benefits, hmmmmm, I certainly wont use no more. Will keep as a souvenir.
Thanks Dave for the facts here. I don’t have the 50K pesos or desire to sample the Filipino jail.
Cheers,
Richard
I guess my wife’s years of work @ Navy Exchange in Subic Bay and paying tax to Philippines doesn’t qualify her either.
Yes, Edgardo, please tell us more. Why wouldn’t your wife qualify?
If she is a Philippine citizen and resident she is qualified for the card.
Excellent article Dave. Can’t be clearer than that. However, this is the Philippines! It’s also an offence to go through a red light, etc., etc.!!!( but you don’t get deported for that!) Apparently, and I admit this is only “what I have heard”, it’s not necessary to have a senior citizen card to avail of the privileges. Any ID which shows your age should do. This of course, is only for those qualified, as you said. I don’t have a card myself, but on a number of times, when I’v been with Filipinos, maybe in Mac Donald’s, or on a bus, they have said, “two senior citizens”, and I was given the discount. I have a British friend, who has a card, so I will show him your article. I’m sure he will be surprised.
Thanks again for the useful info.
No, she gave that up in 1987. It’s funny no one seems to stay home anymore.
Why not advise her to file dual citizenship? There are really no downsides to doing so.
That’ll be a challenge
Why a challenge? It is a very easy process.
What? How Visayan women are? That sounds like a slam. Sorry, but that is how I see it.
Checked my PM
Already saw it. I don’t understand how you can speak about ALL Visayan women? I gurss we are different, I would never speak about my wife like that, I respect her too much.
That’s good!
i been in the Philippines for about seven months and more then happy to be back in the us. FOOD IS NOT ANY CHEAPER IN THE PHILIPPINES THEN IN THE US. you also do not worry getting run over on the street on purpose. Spending hours to get a visa extension is a big joke. There are money other countries where you are treated much better and live in a cleaner environment. i never understand the reason to retire in the Philippines. people re friendly if the know you. They using us to keep the country afloat. please reconsider even coming to the Philippines or you be sorry. i feel sorry for the families that lost a loved one to free the country from the Javanese. living here is stepping back centuries. i am not making this up. it is a banana republic and will be one forever.
I wish you had called me before you left the Philippines, John. I would have felt so proud to be the one to take you to the airport! 😀 I am also happy that you are back in the USA, the Philippines is a better place because of it!
Hehe!
And now he’s back living with mama in the trailer park. I had no idea that Java had occupied this country – wow!
Yeah, those Javanese are always a pest! Maybe that is why the Japanese came in… to drive out the people from Java!
I think it’s better you’r back in the US John. I’m VERY happy here in the Philippines.
It’s better that you are back in the USA. Perhaps some time learning English Grammar might help?
Funny but I thought it was the Japanese that invaded during WWII
I’m happy you’re there too, John. Far too many of my fellow Americans come here to the Philippines expecting it to “cure their lives” or perhaps “make them happy”. If you’re not a happy person where you are now, moving to the Philippines won’t make you any happier.
For myself, my wife is a dual citizen and we have more than enough income to move back to the USA, if we wanted to. We don’t want to. We’re very happy here, hope you are happy there.
@ John: No wonder you can’t get a visa extension. The Filipinos probably couldn’t understand your English grammar. You are an American and you can’t speak and spell English?
LMAO 🙂 We just moved to the Philippines from the Usa in Feb yes food is not cheaper if you dine out at fast food and chain dining. but we go to the street markets get fruit, vegis and meats near our home thats much cheaper here. I take all the negatives in stride most of all we enjoy being able to bond with family during holidays bdays etc that we never had in Houston with my family all over the Usa. Overall for us me being retired it is much less to live in the Philippines
John – You sound a little disgruntled bro!
Good information… I do not have a card and wouldn’t want it anyway.
Every time i see someone (Pinoy) using a senior card in the supermarket, i find another register line, there’s so much “paperwork” to do, it takes a looong time.
As for me – why have that card and save a few Peso? If my economy was that tight, i would do something else about it. You only save a few Peso and for me to see it’s not worth all the delays and troubles.
When my Mother-in-law still lived,in our house, my asawa used her card for her needs, OMG….the time it took to approve, to check, to write whatever down wasn’t just worth it. When buying grocery, it’s not all things that gives a senior discount.
Maybe in case of need for medical supply and help it is better i don’t know about that, but i know…i can afford to live here – as is.
PS..I do understand that senior Pinoys will use it, typically their income is very, very low, so every Peso count.
Axel,
Thanks for highlighting something I left out of the article .. the darn thing was too long already … the complications of actually USING a senior citizen card.
My wife and I had the mixed joys and heartaches of nursing both her parents through their final years. Anyone who thinks actually using the card for things like buying prescription drugs probably has never used one.
It’s certainly not something I would do voluntarily, even if it were legal.
The senior discounts can be quiet unpopular most of the cost falls directly on the retailer or transport operator. The government do not provide any subsidy. With large retailers its not such a big issue but with small owner operators claiming a false discount is an easy way to make enemies
First of all, I’m not going to lose any sleep or get upset about not having a discount card, But I can’t help but wonder why the penalties are so stiff, when no government subsidies are involved.
Like many things that surprise me here, it strikes me as very ironic that a country with so many OFW’s and immigrants to other countries would be so punitive when dealing with expats from those same countries. A huge percentage (the largest single category, I think) of GDP in this country is foreign remittances from current and former Filipinos who are expats themselves. I realize it’s hard to get a visa in the US, for example. But once there, a Filipino in the States gets the same treatment as anyone else, when it comes to this sort of thing. As an American, I have no problem with that.
We can only hope that with time, the powers that be will broaden their horizons a bit and see the bigger picture.
OK – Now I’m thinking about this too much, but it bears discussing, I think.
Is it too much of a stretch to say that the Philippines – more than any other county that I know of – depends largely on income from its own OFW’s and former citizens living overseas for it’s own well-being than any other domestic industry? In other words, the Philippines has a major financial dependency on how well Filipinos get treated in other countries.
And wouldn’t it also be fair to say that western expats who come here, spend the vast majority of their income HERE where they live? If so, then anyone in their right mind, would think: “Hey….” (or Hoy), “We should offer INCENTIVES for MORE expats to come here!
Ok, maybe that IS a stretch. But to be so punitive and quick to punish and deport us for such minor “offenses” is, to put it mildly, “confusing”.
I guess what I’m getting at, is an attempt to UNDERSTAND – not to criticize, why such laws exists here and what sort of positive role – if any – we can play as expats to get over it, accept it, or change perceptions that lead to it.
And if I haven’t been clear about this yet: I’m happy and grateful to be living here!
I certainly hear what you’re saying, John, but in the same spirit of understanding, I’d submit you’re making a common expat error of assigning more more importance to “us” expats than we are “worth”.
It’s very hard to get an accurate estimate of the expat population. I’ve seen many semi-official estimates in the area of 160,000 to 100,000 plus thousand. Let’s call it 300,000 thousand for sake of discussion.
The Philippines has right at 100,000,000 million population these days. So if you were, say the President, and some staffer proposed to you that you change the law to accommodate about 0.003% of the population, just how high a priority would you assign the idea?
Remember all the discounts given under the card are ultimately paid for by the Filipino tax payer through official tax credits.
Remember a majority of expats don’t pay Filipino income tax, since our income is sourced outside the Philippines.
Remember also we are talking about political actions and we don’t have a vote!
The expat population is a really insignificantly tiny fraction of the Philippine population, really.
Dave – I wasn’t really making a financial argument (or placing too much value our our contribution as expats – really). I’m more confused about the irony of it all – call it intellectual curiosity. Every Filipino knows someone – or a lot of someones – who make their living overseas and sends money back home and supports the general concept of “immigration as a means to having a better life”. So why should the attitude be so different when dealing with expats from those same countries who choose to live here?
Is it just internal politics or are we as a group somehow playing a role in contributing to a problem that the government feels compelled to deal with in such a way? I get that we are guests here and have no role in changing policy – really, I do. But I also think we could show some courage in trying harder to understand how we unwittingly contribute to any anti-immigrant sentiment as well. I think there may be a positive role we could play – albeit on a micro-level.
John, I think the reason is mainly because they look on us as not needing the discount, unlike the locals. But I understand your point, and I have similar thoughts about property ownership. A Filipino in the UK could buy, and own every house in the country, if he could afford it, but we can’t own any here! There is also a practice here, of having two prices for some things, like golf clubs. One for locals, and one for foreigners.
My open question isn’t really about the discounts per se, but about the punitive nature of laws dealing with expats where the penalties seem so harsh. I completely get why the laws exist (even if I’m not too happy about them), but the punishments don’t seem to fit the crime.
Yes, I know you’ll get the death penalty in Indonesia for drug trafficking too, but this feels different, so I get curious: what’s behind it?
The law is not punitive toward expats. The law is that you must be a “citizen resident” of the Philippines. So Filipino citizens who do not live in the Philippines have the same restriction that foreigners do. So, they are not punishing expats or foreigners. You are required to not only be a citizen but also a resident.
Yes, actually, the latest version of the Senior Citizen Discount law “disenfranchises” if you will, far, far more Filipino “migrants”, Overseas Filipino Workers and Filipino “balikbayans” than it does foreigners.
It’s specifically designed to relive the tax burden on Filipino citizens who live, work and pay taxes in the Philippines from subsidizing “non-residents”, of any nationality.
I mean, shift your thoughts back to your “home ground”. If you were still a UK resident, how would you like to pay extra for a government program which gave a 20% discount to fellow Brits just because they happened to live outside the UK?
John Weeks – I think you are on to something with “what’s behind it?”. I personally believe that it is not because of the relatively rich foreigners but because of many of the relatively poor foreigner immigrants from varied countries. A filipino friend told me that many past immigration laws were written to stop poorer immigrants from countries like China coming here with no means and taking advantage of the culture or fleecing the locals of their jobs. The harsh penalties would be there as a deterrent for specific foreigners as mentioned above, because they would hold no regard for just a fine. However on the written word of the law it extends to all foreigners. Naturally if you are an American breaking the law they could fine you, throw you in jail and deport you. How ever I consider this less probable unless you have been making filipinos angry and they just need a reason to remove you from the country. The Philippine Government wants foreigners with financial means in the country as it assists economic growth. That said as a foreigner there is no point testing the laws, the prices here a cheap enough if you shop well.
Wow – I can’t believe it’s so difficult to ask this question. Maybe my language is too nuanced (I know it is for “trailer-park JOHN” earlier in the string – No offense, bubba. Pop a PBR for me)
Anyways, I’ve been trying in vain to focus on the PENALTY of breaking the law (fines + jail time + deportation), which seems to me to be way out of line with respect to the offense itself (e.g. using a discount card). Is this typical of ALL laws here or just the ones dealing with foreigners? I tend to only hear about this and other laws dealing with us and can’t help but wonder if there is something behind it.
That’s about as plainly as I can put it.
Hi John – Maybe I am not understanding… but the penalty is the same for Philippine Citizens who are using the card when they should not or for foreigners. If a Philippine Citizen who, for example, lived and works in Saudi Arabia gets and uses a card he is breaking the law and faces jail for that, just like a foreigner would. The only additional penalty for a foreigner is that they will be deported after completing their jail time. But, if you are here as a guest living in the country, if you commit any crime that puts you in jail, you will be immediately deported after you are released from jail.
Is it a stiff penalty? Yes. But, it is so easy to avoid… just don’t get or use a discount card!
Hi John – You seem confused as to what’s behind it. I am certain there is nothing behind it. It’s just the way laws role here. There are many laws with super harsh penalties for what seems like more simple matters. I have been informed the Philippines have way more laws than Australia and they have a heck of a lot. But the implementation is a different matter. Example 1 in 15 people wear a helmet in Dumaguete and not wearing a helmet is illegal. Hardly a relevant fact if you’re not annoying anyone. It’s as simple as that’s just the way they write their laws, nothing more.
John Power – You are correct, they do look at the foreigner as not needing the discount and even if as a foreigner you become a naturalised citizen and are entitled to the card, there is still an aroma of discontentment about the fact you posses one.
John Weeks, a number of contributors, have already made it quiet clear, that it’s not only foreigners.
I have never even known about this card…I live here comfortable and cheap enough to be happy…No need to be a scrooge….Those who deserve it that’s fine…I live good enough here..Happy and content..
First time to comment here.
The govt does not provide direct subsidies to offset senior citizens discount but the retailers can use the discounts as credit to pay their taxes. That’s why I think the reason for all the paper work.
There is no loss to the retailer at all.
Actually, Fred, I would submit there is a significant loss to retailers ad other businesses because of the discount program. All those forms don’t get filled up and submitted and tracked and filed and reconciled,etc. for free … and the government doesn’t pay a single peso for all the effort it takes to get a reimbursement for the 20%. All tax programs and refund programs cost a lot to administer, and independent businessmen bear the brunt of the cost.
This is why there are special queues for seniors in the supermarkets and other places. It isn’t necessarily about giving them a break or benefit. Rather, it is due to the amount if paperwork required to claim the tax credit and keeping it all in one register
Hi John,
Yes indeed. While standing in a long line at the S&R Store one day, a floor supervisor came up to me and asked, “Sir, are you a senior citizen”?
Ouch, in a way that hurt, even if I was old enough to be her grandfather, she didn’t have to point that out … *sigh*
I answered that I was a senior, but as a foreigner, I had no senior discount card.
She replied, “oh I understand sir, but you are invited to use our senior citizen checkout even though you won’t get the discount. The line is so short there, sir. Please follow me.”
Well I did and wow was she right. Just one older lady already checking out her order and no one else, so I zipped right in the line.
Holy Cow. Checking out at the speed of molasses in January! Every item had to be scrutinized against a list, every product allowable under the discount laboriously hand written into the senior lady’s log book (you guys who say you use the card do have a log book you have to carry around with you also, don’t you?
And then several other forms for the store’s own records that had to be filled up before the cash could finally change hands.
If the store had to check out every customer at that rate, they would have gone “BK” years ago.
I pretty much avoid senior citizen lanes whenever possible … it’s just a huge (and very expensive to the merchant) hassle.
Dave:
We have argued with my mother in law about getting the card since we moved here. She adamantly refuses… Even though she is entitled (She’s Filipino, lived in the province her whole life).
Mama doesn’t have a lot of money, and she could benefit from the discount (She is part of why the government put it into place)… Saving 20% on medicine is a lot to someone like her.
So, Becky disobeyed her mother and applied for the card for her, along with Phil Health.
Hurdle number one: She had no birth certificate on file with the NSO. (Believe it or not, there was a records fire in the Philippines years ago, just like at the US Army records facility in the USA… Some people of her Mama’s age have issues with that here). If you are a farmer, do very little with the government, and do not travel, why would you need a birth certificate? In the old days, you went to school where you lived… no registration, so she never needed one.
So, her age was proven with baptismal certificate, obtained with great hassle, in part due to uncooperative Mama.
Why the resistance?
Mama comes from a generation that believes that programs like the senior discount are charity. She feels that by using the discount, she would be taking money from someone who needed it more than her. Explanations from us that it is OK to use the discount met with a brick wall.
So, she has the card, can use it, but I don’t think it has ever left the drawer in her house.
Hi Bob et al.
I am a senior citizen and a foreigner living in the Philippines.
When I saw the discount for movie tickets,
I asked the girl at the ticket-wicket if I qualified.
Although there is no legal obligation to award me any discount,
out of deference to my age, the girl gave me a discount anyway.
Hi Bob, I don’t think there is anything wrong with accepting a discount in that manner, as long as you don’t have a card.
Yes Bob. That seems to be a fairly common practice.
I find it very usefull in the Banks as there are special provisions for Seniors!
I was not aware that the law has been modified in the past few years so , thanks for bringing that to everyone’s attention . There is as you point out quite a bit of miss – information regarding the Senior Card out there , unfortunately . It is made worse when you have local politicans virtually swearing on a stack of bibles that it’s perfectly legal and they know it to be so because their legal staff told them so .
Some have used the ” posession is nine – tenth’s of the law ” as justification or the mayor of wherever issued it , etc . It’s not that big of a deal for me but i can see where it could be for folks on expensive meds . There is also the story of someone that checked out of the hospital and was asked by hospital staff if that had the card and because they did were discounted on their bill . In cases such as this i would think the discount could be substantial .
Obviously , the law needs to be clearer and if they are going to jail or deport people for using it then whoever issued it should also be held accountable . Just my two cents worth.
Hi Dave – I am 34 so the law isn’t applicable specifically to me but I find it of interest, Am I right in assuming that if I was older than 60, had philippine citizenship and had lived here for more than 6 months then I can get myself a card?
Sure Brenton. The law is quite clear that a person who:
1. Holds Philippine citizenship,
2. Has attained the age of 60
3. And is resident in the Philippines for six months or more,
Is entitled to the discount card.
Just out of curiosity, I sense a hidden, unasked question there. Why would you think you might not be entitled, at age 60?
Hi Dave – No hidden unasked question. It’s just the way I worded it. I know of about 4 foreigners around Dumaguete that have cards but aren’t actual citizens, so interesting for them. I don’t suspect they will be actually jailing or deporting foreigners over the matter unless the foreigner was causing trouble and they need a reason to get them. I have a few good Philippine friends that are older and I notice the savings are quite substantial, so I understand why foreigners would want a card. They can get one, they just have to become a citizen!
Yeah that was kind of the thought I was having. If you are not a Filipino now, you certainly _can_ become naturalized before you hit age 60, but it is not a very easy thing to do. In my 10 plus years of talking with and helping people who move to the Philippines I have met a LOT of guys who talked about becoming Philippine citizens, but I have yet to meet one who has actually done so.
Would certainly not be impossible, but it’s not something I’ve ever thought very seriously about. There certainly are some advantages though … my wife (who came already “equipped” with Philippine citizenship) is now also a US citizen and I’d have to say that’s probably the best of both worlds.
Hi Dave – Our mutual friend Rudolf has done it! He just recently completed the process! It took about 2 years to complete.
It’s just not worth it to take a chance on using a Senior Citizens Card for very little gain. With the way laws are enforced here I can see some expats making poor decisions and using them anyway.
Hi Dave — Glad to see what I’ve been telling others is here in print with references. Being eligible in most respects is simply being ineligible, period.
That being said, I can’t stop someone from giving me the discount! Some restaurants I visit, places I shop, and even the occasional jeepney driver will give me the discount, even after telling them what the law says.
Of course, they also say that the discount they provide is for anyone 60 or older, provided that the beneficiary has some form of ID that shows the date of birth, and that who receives the discount from them is purely their decision. I showed my passport as proof of age to one entrepreneur, while stating that I am a US citizen. He thanked me, said that he’d give me the discount, and asked me to come again.
Even with refusal, I still got it. So, I can only surmise that the senior discounts I receive are purely economically based and not part of the “official” Philippine Senior Citizen Discount program. I can’t speak to what transpires between these entrepreneurs seeking repeat business and the Philippine Government after the fact. I can only hope that the spirit in which these discounts were given continued beyond any government interaction.
Getting a no hassle discount because of your age is an economic win for the retailer and the recipient in most cases.
IE: If a lot of folks know they can get the discount, they tell others and more folks shop at that place and the owner gets more cash flow based on traffic and buying habits. Simple Ludwig Von Mises economic discussion. It creates critical mass for a target group that may have more money to spend overall if they get a discount. Without the added burden of the paperwork others have discussed THIS makes perfect sense for a retailer and ALL the smart ones will do it as it enhances their bottom line with little effort.
However using the official seniors CARD to force the issue and the mountain of paperwork required sometimes is what the topic was about. DO NOT DO IT, unless you qualify.
On a related note: At age 52 I get some discounts based on possesion of another document that ANYONE can get in most cases.
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A Philippine Drivers license gets you more Peso at the Pawn Shops for example where non residents are not allowed to exchange. it also, in many cases gets you a local rate for Hotels etc. (Non Chain anyway) Saving money is cool, but some folks get way to worked up over it if they dont get a discount. However if getting the discount is a thin line that without it you would not be able to live or would have to skip meals….then you probably had no business moving to the Philippines in the first place. IMHO.
Another great article. I am able to get so much information from both the comments/replys to comments and the article itself. Information that I did not even know I needed or would be interested in.
It is hard to ask questions when you don’t even know what questions to ask.
Thanks again.
~~Richard
Hi ! Looks to me like Republic Act 7432 has come into effect . This allows Foreign Nationals who are residents to avail of the discounts for the elderly. Pls correct me if I have mis-read the Act. Ron C.
I’m sorry, your information is out of date. Republic act 74322 has been superseded by republic act 9257, which prohibits foreigners from the senior citizen act.