Senior Citizen Benefits

[JJReyes]

JJR Could you explain why the RP only issues 2000 SRRV visas while other countries is more? what is the reason. if you can tell us within forum rules(cough cough)

Out of the 2,000 SRRV approved applications, only 400 visas are issued to persons 60 years and older. The remainder are mostly permanent resident business visas for Chinese (Mainland, Taiwan & Hong Kong) and Korean nationals. The Philippine minimum age for SRRV is 35 years. By comparison, the minimum age for Thailand's O-A retirement visa is 50 years.

The problem is the Philippine Retirement Authority was established through a presidential executive order by then President Ferdinand Marcos. This was during a time period when the government was desperate for foreign exchange revenues. Many very wealthy ethnic Chinese had no legal status in the Philippines (the entry was illegal or overstaying). The deal was a minimum $75,000 deposited in a bank account would grant them permanent residency status.

The current PRA administrator and general manager, Dr. Vernie Atienza is a technocrat rather than the more typical political appointee. He is putting together a practical plan on how to increase the numbers. More important is the coordination and partnership with the private sector through the Philippine Retirement & Healthcare Coalition, which is headed by a no-nonsense German executive on loan from the European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines.

[MikeeW]

For what it is worth, my wife purchased some medicines at a hospital pharmacy and used my prescription which showed my age, well past the "senior" status. My name is distinctly "foreign sounding". The cashier made the sale at the discount, and never commented about nationality.

[SubicSteve]

The penalty for a foreigner using a senior discount card is VERY VERY severe if I recall. Sad but true.

[earthdome]

I will not try to obtain an official Philippine senior discount card. Personally I don't think government should get involved between a seller and a buyer.

If a business offers a discount to seniors I may very well take the discount. I will not insist on discounts or complain if I don't get one. I definitely won't ask the government to pass some law requiring discounts for seniors.

Ultimately all transactions should be voluntary where you agree to purchase some good or service at a certain price and the vendor agrees to sell to you at that price. If you don't like the price or quality of service then search out a better provider of that good or service at a price you like.

[JJReyes]

I will not try to obtain an official Philippine senior discount card. Personally I don't think government should get involved between a seller and a buyer.

The Philippine senior discount card is one of the most brilliant tax revenue collecting ideas imaginable. The seller, using a restaurant owner as an example, does not suffer loss revenues. The discount given to the senior customer is recovered by the restaurant owner through tax credits. What the senior discount card does is produce a paper trail in what is essentially a "cash only" business. It is easy to extrapolate information as to what the restaurant's gross revenues should be and the amount of collected V.A.T. and other taxes the restaurant should be reporting to the government. Any under-reporting can quickly be spotted.

The situation is different in the United States because more restaurant customers use debit and credit cards. The cash transactions are also recorded by memory cards embedded in cash registers. It protects the restaurant owners from dishonest employees. It also assures federal and state tax collection agencies their share of the proceeds from any and all transactions.

[i am bob]

Here we go with some info for all you wonderers (or is that wondererers?) out there.

go here to download your own pdf copy of RA 9994 – The Expanded Senior Citizens Act

Republic Act No. 9994

AN ACT GRANTING ADDITIONAL BENEFITS AND PRIVILEGES TO

SENIOR CITIZENS, FURTHER AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7432, AS

AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS "AN ACT TO MAXIMIZE THE

CONTRIBUTION OF SENIOR CITIZENS TO NATION BUILDING, GRANT

BENEFITS AND SPECIAL PRIVILEGES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in

Congress assembled:

Section 1. Title. - This Act Shall be known as the "Expanded Senior Citizens Act

of 2010."

Section 2. Section 1 of Republic Act No. 7432, as amended by Republic Act No. 9257,

otherwise known as the "Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2003", is hereby further

amended to read as follows:

blah

blah

blah - but pertinent blahs! You should read the entire act as it is only a few pages long and spells everything out very nicely.

Section 3. Section 2 of Republic Act No. 7432, as amended by Republic Act No. 9257,

otherwise known as the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2003", is hereby further

amended to read as follows:

SEC. 2. Definition of terms. - For purposes of this Act, these terms are defined as

follows:

"(a) Senior citizen or elderly refers to any resident citizen of the Philippines at

least sixty (60) years old;

Right after this part is a list of all the things available with this. And now continuing through several more blahs and up to:

Section 6. Section 6 of the same Act, as amended, is hereby further amended to read as

follows:

(skip a few lines)

"The OSCA shall have the following functions:

"(a) To plan, implement and monitor yearly work programs in pursuance of the

objectives of this Act;

"(b) To draw up a list of available and required services which can be provided by

the senior citizens;

"© To maintain and regularly update on a quarterly basis the list of senior

citizens and to issue national individual identification cards, free of charge, which

shall be valid anywhere in the country;

"(d) To serve as a general information and liason center for senior citizens;

And so on...

So now we have it in print... To get a card, you must be a Resident Citizen of the Philippines. If you believe you qualify, contact your local OSCA office to get the card. And if you want to find out anything else about the card, you should contact the OSCA office in your area to find out what their interpretation of the ACT is.

Gawd but it takes longer to copy this over than it does to Google it and then read it! :mocking:

[Dave Hounddriver]

Gawd but it takes longer to copy this over than it does to Google it and then read it!

And thats why the authorities here don't bother to read it, they just use their own discretion as they do with most laws. But its not just Philippines that has this problem. Ask your MLA in Canada if he has read the Canadian Constitution. You may be surprised to read that most have not. (I asked and that is how I found out)

[Mike S]

"(a) Senior citizen or elderly refers to any resident citizen of the Philippines at least sixty (60) years old;

Not sure I follow you Bob ...... but from what you printed in red is what we have been saying all along ..... we maybe senior residents but we are definitely not resident senior citizens ....... small word .... BIG DIFFERENCE ....... and that is where the rub comes in .... the little word citizen ...... if I remember reading correctly some place senior citizens are also entitled to a small monetary monthly pension of about p1000 ..... but as I have read so much on this topic I maybe just confused ..... :hystery:

I to get a discount from a health food store but I didn't ask for it and I never showed them a card (I don't have one) when I first went there the manager asked me how old I was (damn .... do I look that bad .... :mocking: ) and when I told him he aid I was entitled to a seniors discount .....

I personally don't feel that privilege will ever be awarded to us as we are looked upon as being rich anyway and besides this isn't our country anyway .... right .... regardless about what Filipinos are allowed to do and receive in the US it still doesn't pertain to us here ...... I've always been a firm believer in if you don't allow our citizens to do it in your country you can't do it in ours ....... makes sense to me ..... :thumbsup: ...... :cheersty:

Edited November 17, 2012 by Mike S

[i am bob]

Not sure I follow you Bob ...... but from what you printed in red is what we have been saying all along ..... we maybe senior residents but we are definitely not resident senior citizens

That's right! We aren't unless we take the steps to become resident citizens. A resident citizen can be either through Natural-born or Naturalization. One of the requirements to be naturalized is that we must have lived in the Philippines for a continuous period of not less than 10 years. I guess those Visa runs kills that one for a lot of us.... hehe!

I put the earlier post in there as everybody was giving their version of facts without any references... Now the government may turn around and let somebody have the "Senior's Card" without all the requirements being met but according to the book... And now we know the book being quoted from.

[Thomas]

One of the requirements to be naturalized is that we must have lived in the Philippines for a continuous period of not less than 10 years. I guess those Visa runs kills that one for a lot of us.... hehe!

Yes, it can "waste" some time in the BEGINNING, but I suppose all, who live in Phili and are married to Filipina, get an other easier handled VISA than through VISA runs.

I hope LIVING there 10 years is enough even if visit my home country a month per year.