Benefits of Senior Citizen in the Philippines, How to Apply?

Any resident citizen of the Philippines who is at least 60 years old can take advantage the discount benefits given by the Philippine government.

In order to avail these benefits the senior citizen or his/her authorized representative shall present a valid and original Senior Citizens’ ID.

To get a Senior Citizens’ ID, the applicants must comply to this simple qualification and requirements;

Qualifications

• Must be a Filipino citizen who is a resident of the Philippines
• Must be 60 years old or above
• Dual citizenship can also apply provided that they prove their Filipino citizenship and have at least six months residency in the Philippines

Requirements

• Birth Certificate
• Latest 1 x 1 colored photo
• Valid ID

How To Apply for Senior Citizen ID?

Bring all the requirements to the City or Municipal’s Office of the Senior Citizens Affair (OSCA) where you reside and apply for an ID. You can ask someone from your family to accompany you.

After giving the requirements to the staff, they will fill up the card with your personal info, all you have to do is to sign the card, make sure your signature is the same to the other ID’s you use.

Benefits of Senior Citizen in the Philippines

These are the benefits if you avail the senior citizen’s ID

Twenty Percent (20%) discount and VAT exemption

• Medical-related privileges – 20% discount shall apply to the purchase of medicine and drug, essential medical supplies, accessories and equipment. Medical and dental services in private facilities, professional fees for attending physicians, professional fees of licensed health workers proving home health care services. For complete details visit this page.
•  Domestic transportation privileges  – The fare for domestic air and sea travel, including advanced booking, shall be subject to the 20% discount and VAT exemption, if applicable. Fare in public railways, including LRT, MRT, and PNR, fares in buses (PUB), jeepneys (PUJ), taxi and shuttle services (AUV), are likewise subject to the 20% discount and VAT exemption.
• Hotels, restaurants, recreational centers, and places of leisure, and funeral services – For complete details on this discount please visit this page.
• Recreations centers –The discount shall be for the utilization of services in the form of; Fees, Charges and rental for sports facilities or equipment, including golf cart rentals and green fees, Venues for ballroom dancing, yoga, badminton courts, bowling lanes, table or lawn tennis, workout gyms, martial arts facilities.
• Admission fees privilege – The discount shall be applied to admission fees charged by, theaters, cinema houses and concert halls, circuses, carnivals, and other similar places of culture, leisure and amusement such as museums and parks.
• Funeral and burial services – The beneficiary or any person who shall shoulder the funeral and burial expenses of the deceased senior citizen, shall claim the discount under this Rule for the deceased senior citizen upon presentation of the death certificate. Expenses cover are: casket, embalming, cremation cost, and other related services such as viewing or wake cost, pick-up from the hospital morgue, transport of the body to the intended burial site in the place of origin

Other Privileges

• Income tax exemption – The senior citizen shall be entitled to exemption from the payment of the individual income tax, provided he/she is considered to be minimum wage earner in accordance with Republic Act No. 9504.
• Exemption from training fees – The senior citizen shall be exempted from training fees for socio-economic programs conducted by private and government agencies subject to the guidelines issued by the DTI, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the DA, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Department of Science and Technology – Technology Resource Center (DOST – TRC).
• Free medical and dental services in government facilities – Medical and dental services, diagnostic and laboratory tests requested by the physician such as, x-ray, blood test, etc.
• Free vaccinations for indigent senior citizens– The DOH shall administer free vaccinations against the influenza virus and pneumococcal disease for indigent senior citizen patients.
• Educational privileges – Educational assistance shall be granted to senior citizens to pursue post secondary, post tertiary, as well as vocational or technical education in both public and private schools through provision of scholarships, grants, financial aid, subsidies and other incentives to qualified senior citizens
• Benefits and privileges for retirees – To the extent practicable and feasible, the senior citizen shall be granted the continuance of the same benefits and privileges given by the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Social Security System (SSS) and PAG-IBIG, as the case may be, as are enjoyed by those in active service.
• Privileges on granting special discounts in special programs – To the extent possible, the government may grant special discounts in special programs for senior citizens on purchase of basic necessities and prime commodities, Provided, that such special programs and their guidelines shall be developed by the concerned department within the concerned department’s jurisdiction.
• Express lanes privileges – Accessible express lanes for senior citizens shall be provided in all private, banking, commercial, and government establishments; in the absence thereof, priority shall be given to them.

Utility Discounts

For utility discounts, please refer to this page for complete details