Photo from Mayor Rex Gatchalian Facebook account
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Election lawyer Romula Macalintal is urging lawmakers to refile a bill granting senior citizens a 20% discount for radio frequency identification devices (RFID) used in tollways and skyways in line with 鈥淓lderly Week鈥� from October 1 to 7.
Once the bill is filed, Macalintal said that he hopes President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. would certify the measure as urgent.
鈥淥ur lawmakers should refile and revive House Bill No. 9644 filed by Congressman Lito Atienza in the 18th Congress which will grant [20%] discount for senior citizens [traveling] through tollways in skyways using [RFID] provided聽 the cars are registered in their names,鈥� said Macalintal in a statement on Wednesday.
Macalintal said the bill seeks to restore the benefit, which was removed when R.A. No. 9257 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2003 was amended by R.A. No. 9994, or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.
鈥淚nstead of 鈥渆xpanding鈥� [senior citizens鈥橾 benefit, the said 20% discount of聽 [senior citizens] on toll fees was deleted when the word 鈥渟kyways鈥� was removed by RA 9994 from the list of transportation services where SCs could avail of said discount,鈥� explained Macalintal.聽
Macalintal said that Atienza鈥檚 bill is the solution to the situation, as it would not only restore the word 鈥渟kyways鈥� but would explicitly state that the 20% discount applies to RFIDs or similar systems as well.聽聽聽
鈥淲e look forward to seeing the refiling of the said bill with the hope that President Marcos will certify it as an urgent bill in time for the celebration of Elderly Week this coming October 1 to 7,鈥� said Macalintal.聽
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