HOUSE OF MEPAESENTATIVES
Republic of the Philippines RECEINVID
HOUSE OF THE REPRESENTATI
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No.__529

Introduced by HON. RODEL M. BATOCABE, HON. ALFREDO A. GARBIN, Jr., and
HON. CHRISTOPHER S. CO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Republic Act No. 7432, which was approved and passed on 23 April 1992,
otherwise known as An Act to Maximize the Contribution of Senior Citizens to Nation
Building, Grant Benefits and Special Privileges and for Other Purposes, as amended, is
further amended in order to reduce the senior citizenship age from sixty (60) to fifty-six
(66). The rationale behind are the established facts that at the age of 56, age-related
ailments and other physical limitations are already experienced, thus, benefits and
special privileges are but necessary.

In the year 2010, senior citizens made up 6.8% of the total household population
in the country, and considering the proposed amendment of the senior citizen age as
indicated in this bill, an additional of not more than 3 million members will be included
from the age group of 56-59 years old, which is equivalent to around 3% of the total
household population. The appropriated funds herein shall be very minimal compared to
that of the benefits that shall be enjoyed by the indicated population herein:

Consequently, the proposed additional members that more than half of which are
considered as heads of household, and those military personnel of the Armed Forces of
the Philippines who are separated from service due to the set mandatory age of
retirement of 56, will be provided with the same benefits and privileges to them as
enjoyed by those under the existing regular retirement system.

In view thereof, the undersigned believes that further amendment of the RA 7432
is in order to cater to the small number of population that needs such benefits and
special privileges as provided by the law. It is for these reasons that support for and
prompt passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

RODEL|M. BATOCABE ALFREDO AJ & IN, Jr. CHI IPHER S. CO.
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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF THE REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

529
HOUSE BILL No.

Introduced by HON. RODEL M. BATOCABE, HON. ALFREDO A. GARBIN, Jr., and
HON. CHRISTOPHER S. CO

AN ACT TO REDUCE THE SENIOR CITIZEN AGE FROM SIXTY (60) TO FIFTY-SIX
(56), FURTHER AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT 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. Section 2 of Republic Act No. 7432, as amended by Republic Act No.
9994, otherwise known as the “Expanded Seniors Citizen Act of 2010” is hereby further
amended to read as follows:

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

(a) Senior citizen or elderly refers to any resident citizen of the Philippines at
least fifty-six (56) years old;

x x x

SECTION 2. Section 4 of Republic Act No. 7432, as amended by Republic Act No.
9257, otherwise known as the “Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2003”, is hereby further
amended to read as follows:

SEC. 4. Privileges for the Senior Citizens. — The senior citizens shall be entitled
to the following:

x x x

“()) death benefit assistance of a minimum of Two thousand pesos
(Php2,000.00) shall be given to the nearest surviving relative of a deceased
senior citizen which amount shall be subject to adjustments due to inflation in
accordance with the guidelines to be issued by the DSWD.

“In the availment of the privileges mentioned above, the senior citizen, or his/her
duly authorized representative, may submit as proof of his/her entitlement there
to any of the following:

“(1) an identification card issued by the Office of the Senior Citizen Affairs
(OSCA) of the place where the senior citizen resides: Provided, That the
identification card issued by the particular OSCA shall be honored nationwide;

“(2) the passport of the senior citizen concerned; and


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“(3) other documents that establish that the senior citizen is a citizen of the
Republic and is at least fifty-six (56) years of age as further provided in the
implementing rules and regulations

“In the purchase of goods and services which are on promotional discount, the
senior citizen can avail of the promotional discount or the discount provided
herein, whichever is higher.

“The establishment may claim the discounts granted under subsections (a) and
(0) of this section as tax deduction based on the cost of the goods sold or
services rendered: Provided, That the cost of the discount shall be allowed as
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
purposes and shall be subject to proper documentation and to the provisions of
the National Internal Revenue Code (NICR), as amended.”

SECTION 3. All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders and rules and regulations
or part thereof, contrary to, or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, are hereby
repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 4. Should any provision of this Act be found unconstitutional by a court of
law, such provision shall be severed from the remainder of this Act, and such action
shall not affect the enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Act.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete publication in
any two (2) national newspapers of general circulation

Approved,