CEBU CITY, Philippines – Establishments that will not strictly honor the senior citizen discount policy may face closure, a local legislator warned.
This was after a complaint was lodged in the office of the Committee on Senior Citizens in Cebu City on January 29, 2024, which addressed the issue of a pharmaceutical firm inside a mall in Cebu that allegedly failed to give a 20-percent senior citizen discount to an 80-year-old man.
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Cebu City Councilor Jun Alcover, the chairman of the committee on senior citizens, stated that a formal letter has already been sent to the pharmaceutical firm’s management, summoning them to the office.
This was done to provide them with the opportunity to explain themselves and for the investigation to commence.
“Stricto ang implementation sa balaod ari sa Cebu. If found na guilty, if (dili sila mutunga), closure raba sa establishmento ang action sa local government,” Alcover said in an interview on Wednesday, January 31.
(The implementation of the law here in Cebu is strict. If found guilty, if they don’t come, the local government’s action is closure.)
Personal experience
According to the councilor, the issue is not new, as his office has received several similar complaints from senior citizens.
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Alcover even shared that he has experienced the same situation in a pharmaceutical firm, prompting him to call out the management.
“Gipatawag nako na sila tanan, ako gipasabot nila ang policy and RA 9994. Nahilom ra kay ni comply sila… i-implent nila what’s provided by the law,” he said.
(I had them called, I let them understand the policy and RA 9994. It was settled because they complied. They have to implement what’s provided by the law.)
Alcover further reiterated Republic Act 9994, which grants additional benefits and privileges to senior citizens, that every establishment must comply with the law.
The councilor warned all establishments in Cebu City, urging them to strictly implement the senior citizen discount policy as stipulated by the law.
/bmjo