Senior discount card

[Snowy79]

Just a quick reminder that foreigners over 60 years of age and permament residents here can legally get a Seniors Discount Card. Full details in this Bill which passed in 2018. Another win for anyone on a PRA visa or 13a.

https://legacy.senate.gov.ph/lisdata/112729581!.pdf?fbclid=IwAR2q9kAUbhMAc55spj6xKZxE1fLC-_PeLdo4YIlbl5Ws9hYLwRpVe2EEeYE

[Jack Peterson]

13 hours ago, Snowy79 said:

Just a quick reminder that foreigners over 60 years of age and permament residents here can legally get a Seniors Discount Card. Full details in this Bill which passed in 2018. Another win for anyone on a PRA visa or 13a.

 This very true BUT. BUT and there is always a BUT, for foreigners it is Means tested, I know cos I have been there and Tried. Not many of us will ( according to Posts here) be poor enough to qualify  

Edited September 17, 2022 by Jack Peterson
not sure now

[jimeve]

16 minutes ago, Jack Peterson said:

 This very true BUT. BUT and there is always a BUT, for foreigners it is Means tested, I know cos I have been there and Tried. Not many of us will ( according to Posts here) are poor enough to qualify  

want to bet mate. 

[HappyJack]

WRONG.

That bill was NEVER passed.  Only a FILIPINO CITIZEN is entitled to use the National Filipino senior citizen discount card.  The penalty for using one if you are not a citizen is severe and includes deportation and blacklisting.

Now if you ask a business for a senior discount and they choose to give you one, that is ok.  DO NOT get a senior discount card and try to use it.

[Snowy79]

1 hour ago, HappyJack said:

WRONG.

That bill was NEVER passed.  Only a FILIPINO CITIZEN is entitled to use the National Filipino senior citizen discount card.  The penalty for using one if you are not a citizen is severe and includes deportation and blacklisting.

Now if you ask a business for a senior discount and they choose to give you one, that is ok.  DO NOT get a senior discount card and try to use it.

If you read the Republic Act 9994 they have removed the word Filipino and replaced it with any resident of the Philippines at least 60yrs old. It's the usual Philippines way of doing things, you have to search around lots of acts to find the full information.

http://hrlibrary.umn.edu/research/Philippines/RA 9994 - The Expanded Senior Citizens Act.pdf

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;

Republic Act 9257 also defines it as any resident citizen over 60yrs old. You need to scroll to section 2 definition of terms. 

 https://doh.gov.ph/sites/default/files/policies_and_laws/RA09257.pdf

 

Edited September 16, 2022 by Snowy79

[Dave Hounddriver]

3 hours ago, HappyJack said:

WRONG.

That bill was NEVER passed.  Only a FILIPINO CITIZEN

Wow.  You definitely feel strongly about that.  What do you think of Section 3. Section 2 of Republic Act No. 7432, as amended by Republic Act No. 9257 that Snowy mentioned?  Is it still wrong in your opinion?  EDIT:  I am looking closer at Snowy's post

 

1 hour ago, Snowy79 said:

If you read the Republic Act 9994 they have removed the word Filipino and replaced it with any resident of the Philippines

I see where they replaced the word Filipino with "any resident citizen" of the Philippines.  The words citizen of the Philippines means to me that immigrants who have become citizens can qualify but I do not see where it mentions citizens of other countries.  Can your provide more clarity?

Edited September 16, 2022 by Dave Hounddriver

[Old55]

I repeatedly used the SM grocery Senior Only line a while back. Guess I'm got some splanin to do next visit? 

[Ram1957]

If you are a senior citizen and living in the Philippines, and require a Philippine Senior Citizen card to live. You selected the wrong country to live in.

[Mike J]

3 hours ago, Old55 said:

I repeatedly used the SM grocery Senior Only line a while back. Guess I'm got some splanin to do next visit? 

I also use those lines but without a discount.  As Lucy would say, no splanin required.  

[Mike J]

The senior discount for foreigners has been brought up a number of times here on the forum.  It usually starts with the reference to Republic Act  2832 as did the original poster.  This bill was proposed May 18, 2011 (not 2018) and it never passed. Forum members should disregard any argument that uses RA 2832 to justify senior discount for foreigners.  I say again IT NEVER PASSED.  

But things beame less clear and open to interpretation as the original bill (RA 7432) was amended. 

Republic Act 7432, the original bill, is modified by Republic Act 9994 (became law Feb 15, 2010) with a new definition:

"Sec 2(a) Senior citizen or elderly refers to any resident citizen of the Philippines at least sixty (60) years old".  There is no mention of income level in the new definition as in the original Act which was 60K peso per year.

I have a 13A visa and have lived here for nine years.  I am a permanent "Resident", but I am I not a "Citizen" of the Philippines.  I am a citizen of the USA.

cit·i·zen
/ˈsidizən,ˈsidisən/
noun
a legally recognized subject or national of a state or commonwealth, either native or naturalized.
"a Polish citizen"

Final thoughts - Consider this.  If the RA 9994 (signed into law 2010) gave foreign residents the rights to the benefits of RA 7432, why would there have been an attempt to allow foreign seniors to have those same benefits (RA 2832 in 2011 which never passed).  There would have been no reason to try and extend the benefits to foreigners if they were already entitled via RA 9994. 

As foreigners we are not allowed by law entitled to the senior discount.   We do a disservice to members and other expats by saying anything to the contrary.