«

»

Senior Citizen Benefits and Person With Disability Privileges in the Philippines


This article is posted under General Information.

Every time I go out with my parents, it never fails to impress me how much we get to save on our meal receipts because of their senior citizen benefits.

Moreover, I am also quite happy, with the many discounts and privileges that my deaf and mute friend enjoys, in so many establishments in the city.

Unfortunately, not many senior citizens, and most specially people with disabilities, know their rights and benefits.

That’s why, as a simple public service, I’m sharing with you today some of the senior citizen benefits and special privileges of PWD’s that is mandated by law in the Philippines.

Who is eligible for a Senior Citizen’s ID Card?
One must be a Filipino citizen (dual citizens included), at least 60 years old, and a resident in the city where he or she is applying in for at least 6 months.

How to apply for a senior citizen’s card?
The process is very simple, and all you have to do is to go to and apply at the Office Of The Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) in your city of residence. You’ll be required to accomplish an application form, submit a proof of eligibility and a recent 1″ x 1″ ID photograph.

senior citizen philippines Senior Citizen Benefits and Person With Disability Privileges in the Philippines

Who is eligible for a Person with Disability (PWD) ID Card?
Any Filipino citizen (dual citizens included) with physical or mental impairment that restricts him or her to perform daily living activities either continuously or periodically for extended periods.

And as a result of these restrictions, the person requires assistance from another person, animal or device to perform such daily living activities.

How to apply for a PWD ID card?
The person or his/her caregiver can obtain an application form from any of the issuing offices established by the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) in various cities and barangays in the country.

See the full list here: List of Provinces and Cities Issuing PWD IDs

The applicant or the caregiver must then submit several document requirements which includes a clinical abstract duly signed by any licensed private or government clinic or hospital-based physician.

disability philippines Senior Citizen Benefits and Person With Disability Privileges in the Philippines

What are the benefits of senior citizens in the Philippines?

There are a lot, and each city even has their own list of benefits and privileges. But here are some that should apply everywhere:

  • Twenty percent (20%) discount and exemption from the value-added tax (VAT), if applicable, on the sale of goods and services from ALL establishments, for the exclusive use and enjoyment or availment of the senior citizen.
  • Exemption from the payment of individual income taxes of senior citizens who are considered to be minimum wage earners.
  • A grant of a minimum of five percent (5%) discount relative to the monthly utilization of water and electricity supplied by the public utilities, if stated PROVISIONS apply.
  • Exemption from training fees for socioeconomic programs.
  • Free medical and dental services, diagnostic and laboratory fees such as, but not limited to, x-rays, computerized tomography scans and blood tests, in all government facilities, subject to the guidelines to be issued by the DOH in coordination with the PhilHealth.
  • Provision of express lanes for senior citizens in all commercial and government establishments

What are the privileges of people with disabilities in the Philippines?

There are likewise many benefits that PWD’s are entitled to. But I think the most important one is their entitlement to at least twenty percent (20%) discount on:

  • All establishments relative to the utilization of all services in hotels and similar lodging establishments; restaurants and recreation centers.
  • Admission fees charged by the theaters, cinema houses, concert halls, circuses, carnivals and other similar places of culture, leisure and amusement.
  • The purchase of medicines in all drugstores.
  • On medical and dental services including diagnostic and laboratory fees such as, but not limited to x-rays, computerized tomography scans and blood tests, in all government facilities, subject to guidelines to be issued by the Department of Health (DOH), in coordination with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHILHEALTH).
  • On far for domestic air and sea travel, public railways, skyways and bus fare.

And those above are just the financial benefits, there are of course many others such as the privilege to have installed provisions and express lanes in all commercial and government establishments.

LEARNING MORE…

If you want to learn more about the senior citizen benefits and person with disability privileges in the Philippines, you can check out the following links:

Senior Citizens

People With Disabilities

Above are just a few of the benefits and privileges of senior citizens and people with disabilities. Please help spread the word so that more people will know about this.

Lastly, all information stated here comes from personal research. So kindly leave a comment below if you see any mistake so that I can correct them. Thank you.

Enter your email address for your free subscription to Ready To Be Rich:

———
Photo credits: laruth and welsnet

Please share this to your family and friends.

---

Posts You Can Read Next:
UnionBank Offers New Money Service For Filipinos in UAE
My brother works in Dubai, and to save money from remittance fees, he usually sends money once every quarter. That money is used for the simple luxuries of my parents, as me and my youngest brother already takes care of their monthly necessities. Indeed, me and my siblings are part of “The Sandwich Generation” – and giving...

Philippine Mutual Fund Companies To Invest In
At present, the Investment Company Association of the Philippines or ICAP has several mutual fund companies as their members. So if you’re thinking of investing in mutual funds, then I hope this list of mutual fund companies in the Philippines can help you find the best mutual fund for your investing requirements. In the country, there are...

A Simple Guide To Registering A Corporation in the Philippines
I was going through some of my old business documents when I stumbled upon the incorporation papers of a failed company I put up around four years ago. It was nostalgic to remember the fun, the hard work and even the headaches I experienced in making this start-up work. But I guess it was not meant...

This entry was posted by on Wednesday, June 6th, 2012 at 5:59 am and is filed under General Information. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. If it's your first time to comment here, your post could be held for moderation and won't appear until approved. Off-topic responses and self-promotion posts can and will be deleted.



4 Responses to “Senior Citizen Benefits and Person With Disability Privileges in the Philippines”

  1. Funny, I remember how my mom would ask for a senior citizen’s discount when she rides a bus. Some drivers and ‘conductors’ won’t ask to see the id’s anymore and just base it on how the persons look, so my mom would smile and say,’don’t I look like a senior citizen to you?’…it’s more fun in the Philippines :)

  2. Alam nyo kayo lang sa net may ganitong article that fully discuss yung benefits pala,

    Just wanna ask, Sa PWD Does SM groceries,Unimart, Restos, Krispy Kreme, Starbucks, (basta yung mga known establishments), Transpo (MRT/LRT) Really do gives discounts sa PWD?

    Magkano kaya discounts nun?

    Na curious lang naman,

  3. how about disavantages? is there any?

  4. http://globalnation.inquirer.net/30927/dot-it%E2%80%99s-more-fun-to-be-a-senior-in-philippines

    This article appeared in the Inquirer in March 2012.

    What is the current status of these changes?

    I am a senior 60+ U.K. Citizen

Trackbacks




Leave a Reply