Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session NS

3475

House Bill No.

Introduced by
Senior Citizens Party-List Representative RODOLFO “OMPONG"” M. ORDANES

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The old adage cemented into the culture of our society is the belief that retirement is the fairy-tale ending
‘every working man will get as they reach the twilight of their lives. Unfortunately, for majority of our senior
citizens, retirement is not at all the fairy-tale ending they envisioned. Rather than a fairy-tale ending,
millions of our senior citizens soon realize that their golden years will also be years where they become
more economically vulnerable and at high risk to poverty. As they age, senior citizens

Parking fees in various private commercial establishments have become fiscally cumbersome for our nine
million (9,000,000) senior citizens. While parking fees which range from thirty pesos (PhP 30) to fifty pesos
(PhP 50) might seem fiscally light for our able-bodied populace, it is financially onerous for our senior
pines.**

citizens who are considered as one of the most economically vulnerable demographics in the Phil
Accordingly, while our younger and more economically-able citizens may consider parking fees as
dispensable, our economically vulnerable senior citizens can already use that amount to augment their daily
‘medical and subsistence expenses.

Moreover, as parking fees remain financially onerous, the ability of our senior citizens to fully enjoy the
twilight of their lives is also constrained. Rather than focus their ample financial reserves in enjoying the
services and goods provided by private commercial establishments, they are constrained to still consider
what they have to pay for their parking fees. This is unfortunate, especially for our senior citizens, whose

“5 Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). 2019. Labstat Updates: Decent Work in the Philippines:
Statistics on Social Security (Report No. ISSN 0118-8747) Retrieved from
https://psa.gov.ph/sites/defaul/iles/Labstat%20Updates%20V0l%2023%20N0%201%20Decent%20
Work%20Social%20Security_O.pdf


few sources of enjoyment as they age are to walk around in malls and socialize in restaurants. Thus, there
is an urgent need for our senior citizens to be given a reprieve from the financial burden of having to pay
for parking fees and be finally given the opportunity to enjoy their golden years in relative ease and comfort.

Furthermore, the policy of granting free parking privileges to our senior citizens are in line with the mandate
of the 1987 Philippine Constitution which provides that the State has a duty to care for its elderly members
through programs of social security*® and its policy under existing laws which emphasizes its mandate to
re-affirm the valued Filipino tradition of caring for the senior citizens and foster their capacity to attain

more meaningful and productive ageing.‘”

‘Thus, this bill seeks to provide to exempt our senior citizens from the payment of parking fees in all parking
areas of private commercial establishments nationwide,

In view of this, passage of the bill is sought.

RODOLFO “MPO! |. ORDANES

% Phil. Const. Art. XV Section 4.
47 Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

3475

House Bill No.

Introduced by

Senior Citizens Party-List Representative RODOLFO “OMPONG” M. ORDANES

AN ACT EXEMPTING SENIOR CITIZENS FROM THE PAYMENT OF PARKING FEES IN ALL
PARKING AREAS OF PRIVATE COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS NATIONWIDE

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:
SECTION 1, Short Title - This Act shall be known as the “Senior Citizens Free Parking Act”

SECTION 2, Definition of Terms — For the purposes of this Act, these terms are defined as follows:

a) Senior Citizens or elderly refers to any resident citizen of the Philippines at least sixty (60) years old,

b) Private Commercial Establishments includes all business establishments, malls, hospitals, recreational
places, restaurants, lodging places, and any other similar places except for spaces and buildings
devoted solely for parking and is not in any way connected with any business establishments,

©) Parking Fee refers to the pre-determined amount charged by any private commercial establishments
to persons for the use of their parking spaces.

SECTION 3, Free Parking Privilege. ~ All senior citizens who are either driving or is an occupant of the
vehicle sought to be parked shall be exempted from the payment of the parking fee for the first three (3)
hours oF the initial flat rate parking fee, whichever is higher. Provided, however, that the exemption does
not extend to: lost parking tickets, overnight parking, valet parking, and spaces or buildings devoted solely
for parking and is not in any way connected with any business establishment,

SECTION 4, Availment of the privilege. ~ & senior citizen can avail of the free parking privilege upon
presentment of his or her, senior citizen identification card or any other documents that establish that the
senior citizen is a citizen of the Republic of the Philippines and is at least sixty (60) years of age, to the
parking attendant or cashier of the private commercial establishment.

SECTION 5. Tax benefits for the Private Commercial Establishments. - The private commercial
establishments may claim the free parking privilege it granted under this act as tax deduction from gross
income for the same taxable year that the discount is granted; Provided, further, that the total amount of
the claimed tax deduction net of VAT, if applicable, shall be included in their gross sales receipts for tax
purporses and shall be subject to proper documentation and to the provisions of the National Internal
Revenue Code (NIRC), as amended.

SECTION 6. Penalties. - Any person, carpark operator, the manager, and/or owner of the parking
establishment who refuses to honor the senior citizen card issued by this government or violates any


provision of this Act shall suffer the penalties of imprisonment of not less than one day but not more than
thirty (30) days, or a fine of ten thousand pesos (PhP 10,000.00), or both, at the discretion of the court.

SECTION 7. Within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act, the National Commission on Senior
Citizens, the Department of Finance, and the Department of Interior and Local Government, shall issue the
necessary implementing rules and regulations to carry out the objectives of this Act.

SECTION 8. All laws, decrees, executive orders or rules and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with
the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 9. If any provision of this Act is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the other provisions not
affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect.

SECTION 10. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in any
newspaper of the general circulation

Approved.