Seniors, PWDs to get P125/ week discount starting March

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO --- The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Thursday said that senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs) are entitled to a P125 per week or

P500 per month discount on groceries.

Aside from this, they may also get additional price cuts on selected manufactured goods and hardware essentials.

DTI Undersecretary Carolina Sanchez told House of Representatives Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez that the agency is amenable to the latter's request for the grant of additional discounts on groceries for senior citizens and PWDs.

"The DTI is working so that the usual P65 per week discount for senior citizens and PWDs may be increased to P125,” Sanchez told Romualdez during a meeting with officials last Tuesday.

While the process of consultation with stakeholders is ongoing, she said that the necessary inter-agency circular between the Department of Agriculture, DTI, and the Department of Energy to implement the additional discount will likely be issued and take effect in March this year.

Sanchez said the discounts will cover basic goods and prime commodities, or staples consumed daily, such as rice, corn, bread, meat, fish, chicken, eggs, cooking oil, sugar, vegetables, fruits, onions, garlic, as well as fresh and processed milk, except medical grade milk.

Manufactured goods, such as processed meat, sardines, and even corned beef (except premium brands) will also be covered, along with additional discounts on basic hardware construction supplies such as cement, hollow blocks, and electrical supplies, including light bulbs.

Exempted from the additional discount are premium items, including non-essential food, such as cakes and pastries, Sanchez said.

She added that after the issuance of the implementing inter-agency circular, DTI will publish a comprehensive list of the items covered by the additional discount for seniors and PWDs to guide the public and the affected merchants.