Increased grocery discount for seniors and PWDs possible this March — Romualdez
House Speaker Martin Romualdez | | PHOTO: official website of House of Representatives / congress.gov.ph
House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez wants to fast-track efforts to increase to P500 per month the discount for senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs) in grocery stores and supermarkets.
This is after House ways and means chair and Bicol Rep. Joey Salceda filed a proposal to make the discount of these sectors P125 per week or P500 per month.
Currently, the discount for seniors and PWDs is only P65 per week or P260 per month on their purchased grocery items.
According to Romualdez, “kaya itong gawin agad kahit next month dahil isang memorandum circular lang naman ng Department of Trade and Industry o DTI ang kailangan para ibaba sa lahat ng grocery stores at supermarkets.”
In an interview, DTI Assistant Secretary Amanda Nograles said they are preparing an Inter-Agency Committee circular to immediately implement the house leader’s wish of P500 discount per month on grocery items for senior citizens and PWDs.
The said inter-agency committee includes the DTI, Department of Health (DOH), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Department of Energy (DOE).
“Aside sa P125 discount, pinatitingnan ko na rin kay Cong. Salceda kung ano pa ang pwedeng maibibigay na tulong sa mga seniors at PWDs natin na kakarampot lang naman ang pensyon ng karamihan,” the house leader said.
He added, “it’s high time siguro na balikan natin ang batas na ito na 2010 pa naipasa kaya medyo obsolete na rin ang ilang probisyon nito at hindi na angkop sa mga panahon ngayon.”
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