Angara pushes for EVAT exemption
for Senior Citizens

The senior citizens in the country have another reason to celebrate.

Senator Edgardo J. Angara, father of the Senior Citizens' Act, recently filed the Expanded Senior Citizen Law which will exempt the senior citizens from the 12% E-VAT.

"The imposition of the 12% VAT on the sale of medicine deprives our senior citizens of the original 20% discount on the purchase of medicines," he pointed out. He added that the pharmaceutical retailers should be the ones to shoulder and absorb the necessary tax burden.

Early this year, the Senator met with Department of Finance Secretary Margarito Teves and Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Jose Bunag to discuss the matter. "They are supportive of the real intent of the Senior Citizen Law which is to grant benefits and special privileges to the Filipino elderly which at present has a total population of about 6 million."

"For years, they have served and made valuable contributions to the country either as a government worker, private employee, OFW or in the agriculture, industry sector. It is our duty to repay their services by making life easier and comfortable for them," said Angara.

A paper by Asst. Sec. Ruel Lucentales of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) stated that despite the characteristics of Filipinos to give high regard to the elderly, the elderly remains vulnerable to neglect as the pressure of economic survival impinge on Filipino families.

The 1:11 ratio of elderly to the number of working people supporting them in 1970 is estimated to shift to 1:6 by 2020. This means that for 1 elderly, there are 6 people of productive age supporting them.

"Inspite of this estimated 6 people, it remains the responsibility of the state to provide health care and other social services to our senior citizens," said Angara.