20% Online Transaction Discount for Elderly, PWDs Pushed in Congress

As the digitalization of the Philippines continue to boom amid the sudden need to transition to the digital means of transacting due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a House Resolution was passed in Congress that seeks to give the elderly and persons with disabilities (PWDs) the same benefits for digital transactions that they would otherwise enjoy in a physical transaction.

Quezon City Rep. Alfred Vargas filed House Resolution 1880 as the lawmaker saw that the pandemic pushed senior citizens and PWDs to buying online without the ability to use their current benefits.

The lawmaker also noted the “lack of clear guidelines” with regards to the implementation of the mandated discounts for the said sectors.

Vargas added that while existing laws grant the elderly and PWDs 20 percent discount on purchases, the current provisions do not make the same exemptions for all transactions made online.

He also said that consumer advocacy groups had already requested for the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to release guidelines for the online purchase discounts of the two sectors. The request was made as early as October 2020.

However, the DSWD and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) have yet to release the said guidelines as of May 2021 as they are still in consultation with other government agencies. (GFB)