Baguio Solon Urges DOH to Discontinue the Implementation of the Purchase Slip Booklet as a Mandatory Requirement to Avail the Senior Citizens’ 20% Discount on Medicines and Related Goods 

Baguio City Rep. Mark Go filed House Resolution 1263, strongly urging DOH to discontinue the implementation of the purchase slip booklet as a mandatory requirement in availing the senior citizens’ 20% discount for medicine and related goods. 

According to Rep. Go, our senior citizens are having difficulties availing of the 20% discount in purchasing medicines and goods, considering they still need to present a purchase slip booklet for every transaction. Also, there has been confusion with Department of Health (DOH) guidelines. 

Rep. Go’s House Resolution 1263 cited R.A. 7432 (Senior Citizens Act) and its amendments R.A. 9257 and R.A. 9994 (Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2003 and 2010), granting senior citizens a 20% discount from all transport services, hotels, lodging establishments, restaurants, recreation centers, and medicines.

In 2010, the DOH issued Administrative Order (AO) 2010-0032, providing the guidelines to implement the 20% discount on the sale of medicine. It states that the purchase slip booklet is one of the mandatory documentary requirements that a senior citizen shall present to any hospital or medicine retail outlet to avail of the 20% discount. However, in 2012, another administrative order was issued by DOH, AO 2012-0007, also providing guidelines on the grant of a 20% discount to senior citizens on health-related goods and services. In this AO, the requirements to avail of the 20% discount does not include the purchase slip booklet. 

“There is an urgent need to clarify the matter and to discontinue the implementation of the purchase slip booklet as a mandatory requirement to avail the 20% discount to prevent further burden to our senior citizens,” Rep. Go said.### (PR)