. .  
FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
First Regular Session 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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S E N A T E  
S. B. NO. 1 
Introduced by Senate President Manny Villar 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Health has been the perennial problem for most elderly Filipinos who 
upon reaching the age of sixty (60) have become vulnerable to diseases. As 
might be expected,. their health status is worse than that of the young 
generation. Most of them have at least one chronic condition and many have 
multiple conditions. The most frequent health problems are arthritis, 
hypertension, hearing and visual impairments, heart disease, orthopedic 
impairments, sinusitis, cataracts and diabetes. Thus, they visit their doctor 
more frequently and are hospitalized for longer periods than young people. 
There are times, however, that they contract diseases during their 
hospitalization, particularly those which are air-borne, such as influenza virus 
and pneumococcal disease. 
This bill therefore seeks to amend Section 4 of R.A. 7432, as amended by 
R.A. 9257, by providing senior citizens the additional privilege of free 
vaccination against the influenza virus and pneumococcal disease prior to their 
discharge from any government hospital where he or she is admitted for a 
period of more than twenty-four hours for a condition unrelated to the 
influenza virus or pneumococcal disease. 
I t  is hoped that this proposed measure will effectively address the health 
concern of our once-young citizens who in their younger years had contributed 
to the welfare of the nation. 
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is 
urged. 
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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
’4 , I.r0,;7; 
‘ 1  
First Regular Session 
1 
Introduced by Senate President Manny Villar 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING FREE IMMUNIZATION AGAINST INFLUENZA VIRUS AND 
PNEUMOCOCCAL DISEASE FOR SENIOR CITIZENS OR THE ELDERLY, 
AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE, SECTION 4 OF R.A. NO. 7432; AS 
AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS “AN ACT TO MAXIMIZE THE 
CONTRIBUTION OF SENIOR CITIZENS TO NATION BUILDING, GRANT 
BENEFITS AND SPECIAL PRIVILEGES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES” 
Be it enacted by the Senate and 
House of Representatives of the 
Philippines in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. 
This Act shall be known as the “Senior Citizens 
Immunization Act of 2007.” 
SEC. 2. Section 4 of R.A. 7432, as amended by R.A. 9257, is hereby 
further amended to read as follows: 
“SEC. 4. Privileges for the Senior Citizens. - The Senior 
citizens shall be entitled to the following: 
a) 
The grant of twenty percent (20%) discount from all 
establishments relative to the utilization of services in 
hotels and similar lodging establishment, restaurants 
and recreation centers, and purchase of medicines in 
all 
establishments for 
the 
exciusive 
use 
or 
enjoyment of senior citizens, including funeral and 
burial services for the death 
’ 
of senior citizens; 
b) 
a minimum of twenty percent (20%) discount on 
admission fees charged by theaters, cinema houses 
and concert halls, circuses, carnivals, and other 
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similar places of culture, leisure and amusement for 
the exclusive use or enjoyment of senior citizens; 
c) 
exemption from the payment of individual income 
taxes: 
Provided, That their annual taxable income * 
does not exceed 
the poverty level as determined by 
the National Economic and Development Authority 
(NEDA) for that year; 
d) 
exemption from training fees for socioeconomic 
programs; 
e) 
free medical and dental service, diagnostic and 
laboratory fees such as, but not limited to x-rays, 
computerized tomography scans and blood tests, in all 
government facilities, subject to the guidelines to be 
used by the Department of Health in coordination with 
the 
Philippine 
Health 
Insurance 
Corporation 
(PHILHEALTH) ; 
9 
FREE 
VACCINATION AGAINST THE INFLUENZA 
VIRUS AND PNEUMOCOCCAL DISEASE PRIOR TO 
THEIR DISCHARGE 
FROM ANY GOVERNMENT 
HOSPITAL WHERE HE OR SHE IS ADMITTED FOR 
A PERIOD OF MORE THAN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS 
FOR 
A 
CONDITION 
UNRELATED 
TO 
THE 
INFLUENZA VIRUS OR PNEUMOCOCCAL DISEASE; 
[fl g) the grant of twenty percent (20%) discount on medical 
and dental services, and diagnostic and laboratory 
fees provided under Section 4 (e) hereof, including 
professional fees of attending doctors in all private 
hospitals and medical 
facilities, in accordance with 
. 
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the rules and regulations to be issued by the 
Department of Health, in coordination with the 
Philippines Health Insurance Corporation; 
[g] h) the grant of twenty percent (20%) discount in fare for 
domestic air and sea travel for the exclusive use or 
enjoyment of senior citizens; 
[h] i) the grant of twenty percent (20%) discount in public 
railways, skyways and bus fare for the exclusive use 
and enjoyment of senior citizens; 
[i] j) educational assistance to senior citizens to pursue post 
secondary, tertiary, post tertiary, as well as vocational 
or technical education in both public and private 
schools through provision of scholarship, grants, 
financial aid subsidies and other incentives to 
qualified senior citizens, including support for books, 
learning materials, and uniform allowance, to the 
extent feasible: 
Provided, That senior citizens shall 
meet minimum admission requirement; 
u] k) to the extent practicable and feasible, the continuance 
of the same benefits and privileges given by the 
Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Social 
SecuritySystem (SSS) and PAG-IBIG, as the case 
maybe, as are enjoyed by those in actual service; 
[k] 1) retirement 
benefits 
of 
retirees 
from 
both 
the 
government and private sector shall be regularly 
reviewed to ensure their continuing responsiveness 
and sustainability, and to the extent practicable and 
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feasible, shall be upgraded to be at par 
with 
the 
current scale enjoyed by those in actual service; 
[l] m) to the extent possible, the government may grant 
special discounts in special programs for senior . 
citizens on purchase of basic commodities, subject to 
the guidelines to be issued for the purpose by the 
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the 
Department of Agriculture (DA); and 
[m] n)provision of express lanes for senior citizens in all 
commercial and government establishments, in the 
absence thereof, priority shall be given to them. 
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X
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SEC. 3. The amount necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act 
upon its effectivity shall be appropriated out of the funds not otherwise 
appropriated. Thereafter, any such sum as shall be needed for the regular 
implementation of this Act shall be included in the subsequent General 
Appropriations Act following its enactment into law. 
SEC. 4. All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations and 
other issuances or parts thereof which 'are consistent with this Act are hereby 
repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
SEC. 5. This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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