MANILA - Around 2,000 complaints on denied discounts and benefits for senior citizens and persons with disability were filed before government agencies, an inquiry of joint House panels revealed on Tuesday.

Of this number, 154 were filed before the National Council on Disability Affairs, while the rest were filed before the National Commission for Senior Citizens.

“We go into transformative dialogue and restorative aspects. A grievance system is made so that we give the firms the opportunity to explain and answer and maybe comply, and siyempre, address the grievances of complainants,” NCSC Chairman Franklin Quijano told lawmakers.

NCDA said among the complained establishments are restaurants and hotels.

A representative of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines explained that some establishments are having difficulty verifying PWD identification cards, amid the alleged proliferation of fake IDs.

"Some concerns that we may have are the proliferation of fake IDs or 1,700 different types of PWD card, which is quite difficult to compare with any national registry. Unlike with seniors where any ID will do with their birthdate,” HRAP’s Patrick Chan said.

APPS

Quijano, meanwhile, lamented that some delivery apps still have no option for availing senior citizen or PWD discounts.

Some lawmakers also called out the difficulty in finding such options in some websites and apps.

“It exists, but it is hidden. It is very difficult to find… Ang request namin… tulungan natin ang seniors na mahanap,” Marikina 2nd District Rep. Stella Quimbo said.

“’Pag lumabas ‘yung birthday, pwede ba ‘yun i-default niyo na?” House Ways and Means Committee Chairperson Rep. Joey Salceda suggested.

TOLL FEE DISCOUNT

Meanwhile, San Miguel Corporation has given assurance that its tollways group is studying how to implement the 20% discount in toll fees.

SMC operates the NAIA Expressway, Skyway, South Luzon Expressway, Southern Tagalog Arterial Road, and Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway.

“On behalf of the top management of the San Miguel Corporation, the tollways group, we would like to manifest our support to the mentioned discounting of the services for PWDs and the senior citizens,” SMC’s Rafael Yabut said.

“Para actionable siya, dagdagan niyo na lang ng mileage… When we pay you 5, why don’t you give them credits for 6 for those vehicles that belong to senior citizens. That’s the proposal of the joint committee, no discounting just add on,” Salceda suggested.

“Idi-discuss po namin sa coordinating body… I-work out po namin,” Yabut committed.

ONE-DAY 40 PERCENT DISCOUNT

After being called out by lawmakers over a signage that limited the grant of senior citizen and PWD discounts to just one food item and one beverage per visit, Starbucks Philippines announced on its social media page that it will grant 40 percent discount on all food and beverage for these sectors, as well as for national athletes, eligible solo parents, and medal of valor recipients on January 24.

Salceda commended Starbucks for their “compensatory effort”.

“I commend Starbucks for their compensatory effort to correct the mistake of unduly limiting the discounts to vulnerable sectors of society. This is above and beyond what we requested, covering even our honored veterans,” he said in a statement.

“Moving forward, we will continue to seek compliance from other companies as well as improvements in the overall system of granting and accounting for discounts,” Salceda added.

The House panels formed a technical working group for a remedial legislation that will seek to address the gaps in the implementation of benefits for senior citizens and PWDs.