Senior citizens commission suggests replacing discount booklet with centralized database

The National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) on Friday said if the purchase booklet will be removed as a requirement to avail discounts, it should be replaced with a centralized database.

NCSC chairperson Franklin Quijano pointed out that the purchase booklet serves as a record to prevent overbuying and abuse of discount benefits. For him, there should be a substitute procedure for recording purposes.

“Iyong recording is also an important aspect, lalong-lalo na iyong may mga pasyente kunwari na baka sumobra ang binili at mag-overdose o baka i-negosyo niya. Isa iyong practical function ng booklet,” he told Unang Balita in an interview.

(Recording is also an important aspect especially, for example, those patients who may buy too much medicine and overdose or they may turn it into a business. That is one practical function of the booklet.)

“However, kung may centralized database -- 'di ba gumagamit tayo sa ID ng QR code? -- kung may mga ganun, may centralized na nagkokontrol niyan then necessarily nalalaman pa rin without having the booklet,” he added.

(However, if there is a centralized database, like how we use QR code for ID, if we have this, there is a centralized database that controls that, then we necessarily know their purchases without having the booklet)

Quijano also pointed out that a lot of papers are needed to provide the purchase booklets to around 12 million senior citizens.

On January 30, House Deputy Majority Leader Erwin Tulfo called for the removal of the purchase booklet requirement to avail of the 20% discount, describing it as a "useless and additional burden" for senior citizens.

“I think we have to go away with the booklet because this is useless,” Tulfo said in a hearing of the Committee of Ways and Means on the moto propio inquiry into the implementation and policies on discounts, incentives and tax exemptions for senior citizens and person with disabilities (PWDs). 

“This is an insult to all the senior citizens kasi parang tinitingnan ng mga merchants ng mga business establishment na mga manloloko ang mga senior citizen natin kaya they have to own a booklet. Hindi pa ba enough yung kanilang mga senior citizen ID? The mere fact na mayroon silang senior citizen IDs it identifies them as a senior citizen,” he added.

(This is an insult to all the senior citizens because it seems that the merchants of the business establishments see our senior citizens as frauds so they have to own a booklet. Are their senior citizen IDs not enough? The mere fact that they have senior citizen IDs identifies them as a senior citizen.) —KBK, GMA Integrated News