Senior, PWD discount on top of promo offer – Romualdez

MANILA, Philippines — The 20 percent discount and value-added tax exemption enjoyed by senior citizens and persons with disability (PWDs) shall be on top of any promotional offers by business establishments, under a bill filed by House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

House Bill (HB) 16 or “An Act enhancing the discount on the purchase of goods and services of senior citizens and persons with disabilities” aims to “quell the usual quarrels between senior citizens and PWDs and business establishments as to the correct interpretation of the law.”

“This measure provides that the 20 discount for senior citizens or persons with disabilities applied on certain goods and services as well as the input tax attributable to the VAT-exempt sale and the special discount, shall be treated as part of deductible expense pursuant to Section 34 of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended,” Romualdez said.

Unified water service

Marikina City First District Rep. Marcelino Teodoro filed HB 1252 seeking to create a Department of Water Resources which will be tasked to ensure that all Filipinos can access clean and dependable water.

The measure seeks to address long-standing problems in the country’s water governance as Teodoro said the system has remained “fragmented and uncoordinated” for years.

All government bodies handling water-related tasks would be brought under this department and use the Integrated Water Resources Management as the new national framework.

This approach promotes balance between development, conservation and equitable access.

The bill likewise calls for the creation of an independent Water Regulatory Commission which will ensure that water and sanitation services are delivered consistently and fairly, with full transparency and accountability.

Teodoro is also pushing for the creation of tech-enabled schools in HB 1255, which proposes the establishment of Public Schools of the Future in Technology and will give public school students access to laptops, internet and smart classrooms.

The proposal also aims to benefit children in conflict zones, isolated areas and those with physical limitations who face difficulty attending school in person.

RICE Act pushed

The passage of the Rice Industry and Consumer Empowerment (RICE) Act may be fast-tracked in the 20th Congress, House spokesperson Princess Abante said yesterday.

Co-authored by Tingog party-list Reps. Andrew Julian Romualdez and Jude Acidre, the RICE Act seeks to reorganize and strengthen the National Food Authority (NFA) in order to reduce rice prices, empower Filipino farmers and stabilize the country’s grain supply.

Under the bill, the NFA will be authorized to buy palay at competitive prices, manage buffer stocks and directly sell affordable rice to consumers during periods of price volatility.

“I know no one will oppose to have affordable rice for our people,” she said, noting there is a broad political support for affordable food programs, especially those that protect both ends of the supply chain.

Abolish regional wage boards

Meanwhile, Albay 3rd district Rep. Raymond Adrian Salceda filed HB 55 seeking to abolish regional wage boards and replace all locally set minimum wages with a single National Basic Wage.

Salceda said this responds to long-standing inequalities in the wage system where workers performing the same jobs are paid different minimum wages depending on their region.

This bill will mandate a predictable annual wage adjustment for each region until all converge with the national floor.