Paying lip service to seniors

The Department of Social Welfare and Development ought to be ashamed of itself for saying it supports moves to grant discounts to senior citizens on their online purchases. For one thing, the DSWD is mandated not just to support moves to grant such discounts to senior citizens but to help ensure and enforce all other measures that grant privileges to this and other vulnerable sectors.

For another, this voice of support came only after a group called Laban Konsyumer filed charges against it and the Department of Trade and Industry at the Anti-Red Tape Authority for merely paying lip service to the plight of seniors, especially when it comes to their availment of existing discounts and privileges.

It is true that there is a law, Republic Act 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Acts which lays down the rights and privileges of senior citizens. But many provisions of this law are more honored in the breach. Worse, there is really no agency that makes it its job and responsibility to make sure the rights and privileges of seniors are respected and honored.

The job of seeing to it that these rights and privileges are respected and honored seems to fall on no particular agency. The seniors are left to their own devices to insist and enjoy their perks. Otherwise, if they do not demand recognition of these rights and privileges, discounts for goods and services ultimately end up getting rung up in favor of businesses.

For example, it is common knowledge that many restaurants and food outlets do not compute discounts based on the actual amount consumed by the seniors. They instead put a cap on the amount upon which the discount is based. One leading fastfood chain for example puts the cap at P250 as the discountable amount. Anything beyond that the senior has to pay in full. The same with a popular baker, whose cap is fixed at P200.

Many stores and groceries, especially in the provinces, do not give any discount at all. Many stores and groceries also do not have senior lanes, or may have but are not using them. Those that do not have do not give priority to seniors by moving them up the line, forcing them to stand there in the queue for long minutes to the detriment of their health.

Many establishments, for one reason or another, but mainly because of ignorance, respect only a senior citizens card issued by the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs when the law, RA 9994, is very clear that to avail of privileges, a senior citizen may present "any of the following" with the list including a senior citizens card, of course, but also a passport, any government ID with birth date, or any other document proving age of bearer.

The OSCA does not have the resources and probably the resolve to ensure the rights and privileges of seniors are respected. Seniors themselves are too tired, old, and frail to be willing to endure the hassles of complaining. So it is really up to the various agencies to have the political will, moral obligation and executive responsibility to protect seniors even without being told or complained about. Anything short of that is lip service.