DAVAO CITY, June 11 (PNA) –- The National Coordinating and Monitoring Board (NCMB) issued a resolution clarifying further how senior citizens avail benefits and privileges with accepted identification documents under the Republic Act (RA) 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.
With this, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Davao Officer-in-Charge Ma. Belenda Ambi said that with the issuance of the resolution by the Board, DTI hopes that the establishments will already be honoring other identification documents of senior citizens availing of their benefits and privileges.
“This particular resolution will hopefully end the confusion among establishments,” she said.
RA 9994 stipulates the benefits and privileges accorded to senior citizens, or Filipinos who are at least 60 years old.
In NCMB’s Resolution No. 1, series of 2013, the Board sheds light on the reported confusion relative to identification documents needed by the senior citizens when availing of benefits and privileges.
Based on the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of RA 9994, identification document refers to “any document or proof of being a senior citizen which may be used to avail of the benefits and privileges under the law and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR)”.
The IRR cited the following as qualified identification documents: senior citizens’ identification card issued by the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) in the city or municipality where the elderly resides; Philippine passport of the elderly person or senior citizen concerned; and other valid documents that establish the senior citizen or elderly person as a citizen of the Philippines and the real age. These documents include, but not limited to, the following government-issued identification cards which indicate the holder’s birth date and age: driver’s license, voter’s ID, Social Security System (SSS) or Government Security Insurance System (GSIS) ID, Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) card, and postal ID.
In the resolution, Ambi said the Board cited that the “senior citizens may use their OSCA-issued Senior Citizens ID card or any identification document mentioned in the IRR that indicates a senior citizen’s age or birth date, as well as his/her Filipino citizenship in the availing discount benefits and other privileges under RA 9994.”
With the clarification, the Board “directs all government agencies to amend their respective issuances and supplemental guidelines implementing RA 9994 to conform with the law’s provisions.” (PNA)