Baguio drugstores warned: Honor valid IDs of seniors, national athletes, coaches

By Jordan G. Habbiling

BAGUIO CITY – The city council here warned drugstore managers in this summer capital to honor any valid identification card allowing senior citizens including national athletes to avail of the 20% discount in purchasing medicines.

During the city council’s recent regular session, managers were told to comply with Republic Act No. 9994 specifically Section 4 which provides that senior citizens should be granted a 20% discount and should be exempted from the value-added tax (VAT) when purchasing medicines upon presenting their senior citizen ID, their passport, or other valid ID and document that can prove they are at least 60 years old.

Councilor Fred Bagbagen, a senior citizen himself, called out the management of Mercury Drug after a pharmacy assistant in one of the drugstore’s branches nearly rejected his driver’s license when he was requesting for the 20% discount of his purchased medicine.

Bagbagen said many senior citizens might not be able to avail of the said privilege due to the drugstore’s stringent requirement.

Margaret Tolero, head of the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA), said their office keeps reminding the branches of Mercury Drug to accept senior citizens’ valid ID in lieu of the senior citizen ID issued by their office.

Tolero said senior citizens are constantly advised to go to their office if they have complaints against an establishment, institution, or agency refusing to grant privileges provided for under RA 9994.

The city council then made a request to the Department of Health- Regional Office and to the City Social Welfare and Development Office to give proper advisory to all drugstores within the region on the use of other valid identification cards and documents of senior citizens in availing the 20% discount when purchasing medicines.

Meanwhile, the city council also called for stricter implementation of Republic Act No. 10699, an act expanding the coverage of benefits and incentives granted to national athletes and coaches.

A resolution urging all drugstores to comply with Section 4 of the said national law was unanimously approved by the august body during its regular session on March 9.

Section 4a of RA 10699 provides for the grant of 20% discount to national athletes and coaches in their purchase of medicine anywhere in the country.

Councilor Levy Lloyd Orcales, chairperson of the committee on youth welfare and sports development and Sangguniang Kabataan president, said he was disappointed disregard of said provision.

Orcales cited the incident experienced by Sandi Abahan in which the national athlete was reportedly denied the 20% discount by Mercury Drug – Porta Vaga Branch in December 2019.

The managers of three drugstores namely Mercury Drug, St. Joseph Drugstore, and Generika Drugstore who responded to the council’s invitation were reminded by the SK president to also observe compliance to Section 4 of RA 10699.

Orcales also relayed the stand of the Philippine Sports Commission chairperson William “Butch” Ramirez on the implementation of discounts for athletes and coaches in the country.

Aside from the purchase of medicines, a 20% discount should also be given to athletes and coaches in all transportation services, hotel and lodging services, and food and recreation services.

Orcales informed drugstore managers that the fine for not complying with RA 10699 is P100, 000.00, or imprisonment of not less than six months but not more than two years, or both for the first violation; and P200, 000.00 or imprisonment of not less than two years but not more than six years, or both for any subsequent violation.

Orcales said any national athlete or coach who presents their identification card issued by the PSC is entitled to all privileges stipulated in RA 10699.