(Isinusulong sa Kamara) DISCOUNT PA SA PWDS, SENIORS

IMINUNGKAHI ni Deputy Speaker at BUHAY Party-List Rep. Lito Atienza ang pagbibigay ng 20% discount sa  senior citizens at persons with disabilities PWDs) sa pagbabayad ng toll fees sa pamamagitan ng radio frequency identification devices (RFID) at iba pang kahalintulad nitong sistema.

Sa inihaing House Bill Nos. 9643 at 9644, nilinaw ni Atienza na ang panukalang diskuwento sa PWDs at seniors ay ibibigay lamang kung ang ginagamit na sasakyan ay nakarehistro sa pangalan ng mga ito.

“For SCs, House Bill No. 9644 requires them to present and submit any government-issued identification card (ID) showing their date of birth and, for PWDs, House Bill No. 9643 requires them to present and submit a copy of their PWD ID to the toll operator when applying for or buying RFID loads,” paliwanag pa ni Atienza.

Ayon sa BUHAY partylist lawmaker, ang dalawang proposed measures niyang ito ay bilang tugon sa artikulong isinulat ni Atty. Romulo B. Macalintal, na kilalang nagtatanggol sa mga karapatan ng senior citizens at PWDs, kung saan inihayag niya ang kalungkutan sa pag-abandona umano ng Kongreso sa dalawang nabanggit na sektor.

“Congress abandoned our elderly and PWDs when Congress amended Republic Act No. 9257 (Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2003) and Republic Act No. 9442 (An Act Amending Republic Act No. 7277, otherwise Known As The Magna Carta For Disabled Persons, which removed their RFID privileges by the mere deletion of the word ‘skyways’ from the said amended laws,” ani Macalintal.

Sinang-ayunan naman ito ni Atienza at sinabing “indeed, a review of these laws clearly showed that what otherwise would have been granted to our SCs and PWDs as part of their benefits were denied of them” dahilan para iakda niya ang HB Nos. 9643 at 9644.  ROMER R. BUTUYAN