Punchline
Happy to be seniors
By Ermin Garcia Jr.
HERE’S a piece of good news to senior citizens and soon to be seniors!
In addition to their privilege of enjoying 20% discount and exemption from their restaurant bills, movie tickets, land, sea and air fares, medical and medicine bills, etc., three bills have been filed in the House of Representatives seeking to grant seniors “new and grander benefits, including extra travel perks.”
In House Bill (HB) 2620, House Senior Deputy Minority leader and Buhay Rep. Lito Atienza wants the nation’s more than 7.5 million senior citizens to granted a 50 percent fare discount – up from 20 percent – should they travel domestically as airline or boat passengers.
In HB 2192, Atienza wants seniors exempted from paying the P950 to P1,200 passport processing fee, the P1,620 travel tax for foreign trips as well as Philippine airport terminal fees.
In HB 2622, Atienza wants seniors freed from paying driver’s license fees and charges.
But of course, these are easier said than done. First, these must be passed by the congressmen. Second, a similar bill must be filed and approved in the senate!
It will, therefore, be useful to the efforts if the province’s and the individual town’s and city’s federation of senior citizens to write to all Pangasinan’s six congressmen and secure their commitment that they will endorse and support the passage of the three bills.
Then, they should agree on launching a campaign to get as many senators to file and support similar bills in the Upper chamber.
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PRIVILEGED CITIZENS. There was a time when seniors (particularly the ladies) drudgingly admit to their old age. Many felt being discarded and largely ignored by the younger set, felt dispensable and their service unneeded, that being old (60 and above) was like a curse to be lined up in the “departure area,” etc.
Those days are gone. Even senior matrons now gamely present their senior ID cards to anyone who cares to ask for it to confirm that they are indeed over 60!
Why shouldn’t they?
In addition to being entitled to the 20 percent discount and exemption from the 12 percent value-added tax, seniors are now entitled to:
• Exemption from paying individual income taxes for those still working and earning the minimum wage.
• Minimum discount of five percent on water and electricity, as long as the individual meters for the utilities are in the name of the senior citizen of the household, and provided that the monthly consumption does not exceed 100 kilowatts per hour and 30 cubic meters of water.
• Waived training fees for socio-economic programs.
• Automatic coverage by PhilHealth.
• Free medical and dental services, diagnostic and laboratory fees, such as X-rays, computerized tomography scans and blood tests, in all government facilities, subject to guidelines issued by the Department of Health (DOH) and PhilHealth.
• Free vaccination by the DOH against the influenza virus and pneumococcal disease for indigents.
• Educational assistance for post-secondary, tertiary, post-tertiary, vocational and technical education, as well as short-term courses for skills retooling.
• Express lanes in all commercial and government establishments.
* Additional P1k in monthly pension.
With Mr. Atienza’s three bills in the works, many seniors overseas will be more envious of the stature of the Pinoy senior. Mind you, the many of the above benefits are not enjoyed even by seniors even in developed countries.
So hail to the Pinoy seniors! You are blessed, not cursed.
Oh yes, I’m, 69 and feel blessed!!
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WATCH OUR FOR SSS TOKHANG. The ‘tokhang’ concept of the PNP has already began to take roots in the enforcement of national laws, in addition to the R.A. 9165, the law contra illegal drug trade in the country.
The Social Security System (SSS) has adopted the concept that called for the participation of police operatives from Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG). Rationale? Violation of the Republic Act 8282 otherwise known as Social Security Act of 1997 is a criminal act!
After all, pocketing members’ contributions by an employer is no different from stealing.
Recently, I received a press report from SSS detailing its third ‘Operation Tokhang’ in its announced crackdown against erring employers. This time a doctor and a school owner were arrested after a ‘tokhang’.
Employers beware, Tokhang no longer simply applies to drug pushers and users!
So, don’t be surprised if you see SSS Commissioner Gonz Duque suddenly leading the ‘tokhang’ in Pangasinan.
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OFFICIAL PROTECTION FOR COP-PUSHER? What’s the latest from Urduja House in its touted drug rehabilitation program for self-confessed drug pushers and users?
Nothing’s been heard from Guv Pogi since he accepted the deed of donation of the facility owned by Cabiles family in Burgos town.
But what’s even more disturbing are reports that more policemen and barangay officials are being caught in the drug web.
For instance, how was it possible that SPO1 Julius Rosales, a resident of Barangay Macalong in Asingan, became one of the country’s highest level target, able to operate for years in the town and in other places without being accosted by Asingan Mayor Heidee Chua and previous police chiefs in the past? There obviously was official protection accorded SPO1 Rosales over the years!
Then there was Brgy Kapitan Manuel Pineda of Binalonan.
Curiously, President Duterte has long reported to the nation that some 40% of barangay kapitans have been protecting drug operations in their areas. I wonder how much of the PNP intelligence report in the hands of the President really impacts on the province’s police operations.
I hope Acting-Police Provincial Director Ronald Lee will soon tell the provincial board how many of our barangay kapitans are in his drug watch list. Such an information will also be vital to the communities in the face of the expected suspension of barangay elections in October and the possibility of presidential appointees taking over as kapitans.
Meanwhile, the Provincial Federation of Liga ng mga Barangay has not lifted a finger to compel its members to take the drug test as its president Jinky Zaplan had announced early that it would. Why?
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